The Stars' Guardian
by Meow999
Summary: Due to injury, Team Natsu temporarily replaces Lucy with Lisanna. However, like always, Lucy is desperate for rent money and takes on a simple solo mission. Easy enough, right?... But why isn't she returning home?
1. Nakama

The Stars' Guardian

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Due to injury, Team Natsu temporarily replaces Lucy with Lisanna. However, like always, Lucy is desperate for rent money and takes on a simple solo mission. Easy enough, right?... But why isn't she returning home?

NALU (mainly)

Rated M for: Violence, swearing, and possible sexual content.

Time Period: After anime episode 218 (end of the celestial realm filler arc). Two weeks later.

* * *

Chapter One: Nakama

* * *

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu yelled, firmly planting his feet into the ground and aiming towards a man with light blue hair. The man with light blue hair smirked and quickly leapt away, letting the fire burn the surrounding forest.

"Can we try not to cause a forest fire?" Lucy scolded her teammate, snapping her whip back to her after a missed shot at the man. The pink haired Dragon Slayer just grinned at his partner before going after the blue haired man again. Lucy sighed, running after Natsu.

Team Natsu's current target: Hino Arrington, a member of dark guild Estrella Oscura. The mission to capture and secure Hino Arrington was posted by the mayor of Cait Town, a town near the remnants of Cait Shelter. Mayor Rinkuta Katoki accused Hino of stealing a rare artifact from the town museum.

Light blue hair gleamed in the sunlight as Hino ran further into the forest in which Nirvana use to reside. Erza Scarlet glowed with Re-quip magic, changing her armor to Heaven's Wheel. With a swipe of her right hand, ten swords flew towards Hino, craftily being manipulated by the red haired mage. Shifting his eyes, Hino dodged most of the weapons, a few nicking him in various places on his body. He kept running until he found himself in a clearing. The grass was so green it looked untouched.

"Ice Make: Lance!" Gray's voice was overheard in the clearing, but his body was hidden in the trees. Hino smirked as he allowed the ice to pierce through his body.

"A water body?" Lucy gasped, stumbling into the clearing behind Natsu.

"Heh, another Juvia." Natsu said joyously. "I never did get to fight her." Salamander punched his flaming right fist into his left palm. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

"Open, Gate of the Maiden, Virgo!" Lucy chanted, holding the key to Virgo's gate in her outstretched hand.

"Did you call, Princess?" Virgo asked with a straight face, holding her right hand to her chest.

"He's a water mage, so he can transform his body into water." The Celestial mage warned as she snapped her whip. "Be careful," Virgo nodded as she tunneled into the ground.

"You think fire can beat me so easily?" Hino taunted, making another tidal wave crash into the Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu grunted as he was pushed back by the force but stayed on his feet.

"You think water can put out my fire?" Natsu goaded back, heating up his body enough to turn the water around him into steam. Hino scoffed, jumping high into the air as a hammer made of ice crashed into the ground where he once was. "Watch where you're aiming that, ice princess!" Natsu yelled in annoyance.

"Do a better job at fighting, then we can talk!" Gray complained back from a few feet away from the Dragon Slayer.

"Can we focus, please?" Lucy grunted as she sent her whip to encase around Hino's ankle. The water mage let the whip fall through his foot before realizing he was getting surrounded by rocks.

"Spica lock." Virgo said in an even tone as her eyes outlined with red. Rocks formed a sphere around Hino, trapping him inside.

"Great, Virgo!" Lucy cheered happily. Suddenly, the sphere burst with a great force of water, soaking everyone in the vicinity. The Celestial Spirit looked to her owner, receiving a nod in return. Virgo quickly went back underground to hatch the next plan of attack. "Where are Happy and Erza?" Lucy whispered to Natsu who now stood next to her.

"Happy ran into this guy's friend." Natsu explained, cracking his knuckles. "Erza is taking care of it." Lucy nodded. Gray appeared in front of them, making a hasty shield to block scalding hot water.

"Can we stop flirting and catch this guy?" The Ice Make mage hissed as he poured more power into the melting ice shield. Lucy's face went red as she and Natsu stepped into action.

"We're not flirting!" Lucy denied, looking cautiously for her Spirit friend.

"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" Natsu yelled, jumping over Gray's melting shield and sending his attack from above. With the impact of the flames, the ground crumbled and the Water mage tumbled under the falling debris. Abruptly, a hole appeared next to Lucy, revealing Virgo.

"Is it time for punishment, princess?" Virgo asked.

"Ah, no." Lucy answered, use to her Spirit's question.

"Man, that was easy." Gray huffed, going over to check the Water mage and to tie him up for the authorities. Natsu landed near the crumbled ground and inspected it as well.

"Looks like you're finished."

The group looked behind Lucy to see Erza come out of the forest with Happy flying near her while carrying a tied up mage. The Re-quip mage stood in front of Lucy with a sword in hand, not quite ready to let her guard down.

"Yeah, he was like a weaker Juvia." Gray said, cautiously checking where Hino ended up. "Watch out!" The Ice mage yelled as he saw water spurt out of the ground, heading towards the girls. Erza stepped forward; ready to intercept what looked like a water whip from hurting her younger nakama. The S-Class mage didn't expect the whip to wrap around her and throw her into Lucy. With the force of the throw, the two were sent flying into a nearby tree. The Celestial mage yelled in pain as she was slammed into the tree and then had Erza's weight and force crash into her.

"Lucy! Erza!" Natsu yelled in alarm, turning to growl at the rising water mage. Hino chuckled.

"I can't be beat that easily. Did you fairies really win the Grand Magic Games? This is pathetic." Hino criticized. Gray and Natsu turned their full attention to the Water mage, attacking mostly with non-physical attacks.

* * *

"Lucy, are you okay?" Erza said in concern as they were let out of the water whip.

"Yeah," Lucy said shakily, suddenly feeling weak on one side of her body. Erza got up and was about to offer a hand to help the Celestial mage when she saw the blood on her sword.

"Crap," Erza cursed softly, quickly kneeling back down and inspecting Lucy's now bloodied waist.

"Lucy!" Happy yelled in concern as he flew over, still carrying the other Estrella Oscura wizard. "You're bleeding!"

"D-don't worry about it." Lucy said her voice trembling as blood steadily flowed out of her body. The Celestial Spirit mage gave a brave smile and held onto the tree as she lifted herself up. Erza carefully inspected the wound closer.

"It's deep." Erza hissed.

"It's alright, I can still help." Lucy pushed, trying to lean away from the tree but wobbled.

"Princess," Virgo said, concern showing in her eyes though her face remained emotionless.

"Stay here." Erza commanded. "I will not let my mistake hinder you more. Happy, stay with her and keep a close eye on that one." She then pointed towards the tied up mage.

"I can help." Lucy insisted, trying to step forward but instantly fell to her knees as the wound throbbed.

"Virgo can help." Erza compromised. "Don't strain your body. If your magic is running low, close the gate. We can handle this." Lucy once again tried to protest but then decided against it. In her condition, it would be hard to move around. The Celestial mage instead just nodded. Erza quickly re-quipped into Lighting Empress Armor while running towards the flashes of fire, ice, and water.

"I'll call Loke out to help, too." Lucy said, grabbing Leo's key with bloodied fingers.

"Princess," Virgo lightly said, scolding her owner softly. Lucy strained to smile up at her spirit.

"It's okay, I have enough magic." Lucy answered. "Open, Gate of the Lion, Loke!"

"What do you think you're doing?" Loke asked the instant his body was out of the magic circle. He knelt by his friend, checking over her injured body.

"I want to be helpful." Lucy replied. "I'll be fine, just go help them." Virgo and Loke shared a look.

"Virgo, you stay with her." Loke commanded as he stood back up and lit his hand up with light. He then marched over to the continuing fight.

"You need medical attention, Princess." Virgo said, taking Leo's place by her side. "I can get supplies from the Spirit World."

"Lucy," Happy said worriedly as he eyed the growing puddle of red by Lucy's feet.

"I'm fi-" Lucy started to say, but disappeared from sight.

* * *

"Ice Make: Lance!" Gray yelled, extending his arms forward, palms facing the enemy.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu yelled nearly at the same time, shooting flames from his mouth.

"Lightning!" Erza commanded while pointing her Lightning Empress Spear towards Hino, standing behind him while her other two nakama stood in front of him. Erza saw the Water mage smirk before disappearing, getting replaced by a blonde. The Re-quip mage's eyes widened in alarm at the sight.

"AH!" Lucy screamed. The fire burned her. The ice pierced into her skin. And electricity shocked her body.

"Lucy!" Loke screamed as the attacks died down and the body of his owner fell into a crumpled heap on the red stained ground. The Lion Spirit sprinted towards her, gently cradling Lucy's head in his hands. "Lucy! Say something!" Loke started to panic.

"Lucy!" Natsu and Gray yelled together, running towards the Celestial mage as well. Erza turned angry eyes at the laughing Water mage.

"Territory." Hino said in between laughter. "What great magic it is!" Before he could blink, Erza ran forward and stabbed him in the stomach. "Did you forget, Titania? My body is made of wa-" Before he could finish, Erza sent wave after wave of electricity through her spear, effectively cutting Hino off.

"Minerva used it better." Erza hissed, kicking the almost unconscious Hino in the head. Without the concentration to make his body into water, Titania landed a kick that sent him into unconsciousness. "She also wouldn't be distracted." Erza turned back, not caring about the fallen dark mage and hurried to her own nakama. She found everyone crowding around Lucy. Loke and Virgo noticeably missing. "Where are Loke and Virgo?" Erza asked checking Lucy's pulse as the Celestial mage rested against Natsu's arm.

"Th-they were forced back!" Happy cried, having dropped his charge near a tree in order to fly faster to his friends.

"Forced back?" Erza absently asked, but quickly stood up. "We have to get to the closest hospital. Her pulse isn't good. Gray, stay and take care of these wizards."

Natsu gently cradled his teammate in his arms, trying to jostle her as little as possible and ran the way Erza was leading them. Happy flew besides Natsu, tears running down his matted fur face. Carrying Lucy in the air was too risky. In order for Happy to carry her, he would have to hang onto her tattered shirt, which would not only irritate and stretch the wounds on her body, but it could snap at any second. That thought made the Exceed cry harder, feeling hopelessly useless as his favorite blonde lay bleeding in Natsu's arms.

* * *

Gray punched a fist into the tree next to the crumpled body of the mage Erza had tied up. He gnashed his teeth together in agony, leaning his forehead into the rough bark. Lucy. His nakama. His friend was hurt, and he had to stay behind to round up the idiots who had done this to her. His fist made another impact into the tree.

It was our magic,Gray thought bitterly, slamming another punch into the tree.

"Fuck!" He yelled into the silent forest. Quickly pivoting on his heels, he went towards the unconscious Water mage and tied him with magic nullifying rope tighter than was necessary. Dragging Hino towards his buddy, Gray grabbed one shirt in each of his hands and headed towards Cait Town as well. The Ice Make mage didn't care if their bodies scraped against the ground harshly on during his fast walk into town.

* * *

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled as he saw her on a hospital bed, getting wheeled away to an emergency operating room. Erza put a hand on his shoulder, lightly squeezing.

"She's strong." Erza said softly, not sure whether she was trying to convince Natsu, or herself that the Celestial mage would be okay. "I'll find a lacrima to call Master and Wendy." Happy sat on the hospital floor and started to wail.

Numerous times, Fairy Tail mages have ended up in the emergency room or had gotten emergency treatment from other guild members. Though it happened, it never made it easier to see their nakama hurt and in such poor condition. Natsu clenched his fists and teeth; bangs shadowing his eyes.

I said I would protect your future,Natsu thought, body shaking in restrained emotion as images of Lucy dying from Rogue's attack flashed through his mind. Lucy. Natsu tightly closed his eyes, lifting his head up to the ceiling and growled deeply. "Lucy…"


	2. Waiting - The Toughest Battle

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Chapter Two: Waiting – The Toughest Battle

* * *

It had taken doctors the next six hours to operate on Lucy. Even when the Celestial mage was wheeled into the intensive care unit, the hospital staff continued to work on her health. Natsu cringed as he saw the bottle of burn cream being sent into the room. The Fire Dragon Slayer stood up and walked towards the ICU room, getting stopped just outside the closed door.

"I'm sorry, sir, you can't step in here." A female nurse with nearly pitch black hair said. Her kind brown eyes stared at his concerned face. "We're still in the middle of treatment."

"It's been six hours!" Natsu said loudly, losing his temper as his exhaustion and worry took over. "Why are you still healing her?!"

"Sir, please step out of the ICU." A male nurse said as he approached his colleague to settle the argument. "Only family can be in here."

"We are her family!" Natsu answered, trying to step forward.

"By blood relation? Or are you perhaps her husband?" The female nurse asked in a kinder voice, placing a hand on the male nurse gently so no one did anything rash. Natsu lightly blushed at the last question.

"No, but-" The Dragon Slayer tried to say, however was stopped by a firm, metal clad hand on his shoulder.

"We are sorry for the disturbance." Erza said calmly, grabbing at Natsu's wrist and turned to leave the unit.

"Erza!" Natsu hissed, trying to disengage his arm from her grasp. "Lucy-!"

"Please, Natsu," Erza whispered, her hand gripping a little tighter. He was about to protest again, stopping when he saw her shoulders shake in repressed emotions. The two Fairy Tail mages left, meeting up with Gray in the lobby right outside of the enclosed unit.

"How…?" Gray started to ask, picking up a sleeping Happy from his lap as he stood. Erza shook her head.

"Still receiving treatment." The Re-quip mage answered, letting go of Natsu's wrist. "Only family can visit this unit."

Gray let out a frustrated sigh, shoving his free hand through his messed up hair. Natsu suddenly lit his hands on fire, putting it out as fast as it appeared.

It was nearing ten in the evening, leaving the remaining team members exhausted both emotionally and physically. Self-appointed leader, Erza, suggested they rent a nearby hotel to leave the hospital staff free to care for their friend. Grudgingly, Natsu followed, looking sadly over his shoulder. The night was spent in complete silence as the group prepared for the next morning.

* * *

…8 AM…

* * *

"I'll go see our client and let him know we have finished the mission." Erza said, stepping into the sunlight as the group left the hotel. "You three go check on Lucy."

"Aye," Happy said, less enthusiastically then usual. Erza set off towards the rather large mansion owned by the mayor while the rest went to the hospital to wait for any news.

Natsu, Gray, and Happy walked in silence, unable to calm their worried thoughts. When reaching the enclosed intensive care unit, the three barged in, going to the nurse's station in the middle.

"Lucy Heartfilia." Natsu said the instant they made it to the counter.

"What is your relation?" The nurse asked automatically.

"Guild mates." Gray answered more calmly. The nurse gave an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, her condition cannot be shared to anyone other than family members." The nurse replied.

"She doesn't have any blood family left," Happy whispered sadly, sniffling as he landed on Natsu's shoulder. The nurse cocked her head to the side, looking at the saddened group in front of her. She saw the red mark being proudly displayed on the pink haired man's shoulder.

"Guild master." The nurse suddenly said.

"Guild master?" Gray asked, leaning over the counter a little, almost as if it would get him the answer faster.

"In accordance to Fiore law, the guild master has the right to acquire medical information on his or her members." The nurse replied, giving the group a soft smile. "As long as the patient has a guild mark and or is registered as a member." Gray sighed, more frustrated than when they first stepped into the hospital.

"You said Erza contacted Gramps, right?" The Ice Make mage asked Natsu.

"Yeah, yesterday when we first got here." Natsu answered, leaning his back against the nurse's station counter and crossing his arms.

"Excuse me," The nurse softly said, making the group turn back to her. "If you can please have this discussion out in the waiting room?" Reluctantly the group started to head out the door.

Natsu's sensitive hearing picked up multiple heart rate monitors beeping to the beat of someone's heart. As he walked forward, Natsu tried to pick up the one linked to Lucy, tuning his ears to the room he saw her get placed in the day before. Even without super human hearing, Gray turned to look as someone's heart monitor beeped in distress. The group paused as they saw a male nurse run into a room.

"Lucy," Natsu whispered, taking hurried steps towards the room.

"You can't go in there!" The same nurse yelled, getting out from behind the counter to stop them.

"Lucy!" Happy cried, flying to get to her. Another two nurses and a doctor ran into the room next.

The heart rate monitor continued to beat rapidly as more clanking sounds echoed from inside the closed door. Natsu heard a series of watery coughs coming from his partner, as he got closer to the door. Finally able to put a hand on the handle, he was yanked back by the young nurse that had helped them at the nurse's station.

"It is against the law to enter an ICU patient's room if you are not family." She stated firmly, keeping a grip on his elbow.

"Miss, that's our nakama in there!" Gray tried to explain.

"You'll be in the way." The nurse replied in a no nonsense tone.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled through the closed door. The Dragon Slayer was about to enter the room when a large hand clamped around his body and dragged him to the entrance of the ICU.

"Gramps!" Gray said in surprise when the large hand also gripped him. Master Makarov glowed with his Titan magic while pulling his children away from the ICU room.

"You are in their way, brats." Makarov answered, his voice unwavering.

"But Gramps, Lucy is-" Natsu cried out, struggling in the tight grip the master had on him.

"Receiving care." Makarov finished for him.

The door to the bustling room quickly swung open and held against the wall as the bed that housed Lucy was rolled out. Natsu, Gray, and Happy's eyes widened when they saw the mused hair of the blonde. She was laid on her side, unfortunately, facing the group. Through the gaps of the nurses, they saw a lot of blood pooling out of her mouth. Lucy's unconscious body jerked and twitched as she coughed up more of the crimson liquid. The medical team and Lucy quickly got into an elevator, leaving the intensive care unit.

"I'm sorry, but you really must leave." The nurse that had been with the group most of the morning said in a tense voice, hands on her hips.

"Yes, sorry for the inconvenience." Master Makarov said, dragging his children out into the waiting room. "You've caused a lot of trouble for the medical staff." He said once the doors closed to the unit, letting go of the three.

"They won't tell us how she is!" Natsu argued, frequently looking towards the elevator where they had carted Lucy away to.

"Medical information is a private matter in a hospital." Makarov answered in a sigh, plopping down in a comfy armchair.

"There was no time to try to travel to the guild." Gray said next. "Lucy was already in too critical of a condition."

"Erza informed me already." Makarov sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Though I had hoped it wasn't this serious."

"Did Wendy come with you?" Natsu asked eagerly.

"Yeah! Her magic is way stronger than these people!" Happy agreed, flying to stand on the armrest of Makarov's chair.

"She is with Erza getting breakfast. I'm sure you brats forgot to feed yourselves." Makarov said in a knowing tone. "I needed to assess the situation here before bringing our own healer into a hospital."

"But Wendy could probably-" Gray started to argue.

"Wendy probably could not have diagnosed and healed fast enough to prevent what just happened." Makarov cut off. "And she cannot replace blood that has already been lost. It is best in this situation to leave things to the trained doctors." The group was once again plunged into tense silence.

* * *

"I should've come with you." Wendy said sadly, carrying a bag full of take out food.

"No one blames you, Wendy. You can only be in so many places." Erza said.

"But I'm usually accompanying your team." Wendy sighed.

"And there is no shame in asking for a break." Erza replied promptly, laying a light hand on the young mage's head.

"You're still young. There's no need to go on every mission with these ruffians." Charle said, flying next to the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Lucy will be okay." Erza reassured, not knowing her friend had gone back into the emergency operating room. The group of girls made their way into the hospital, meeting up with the rest of Fairy Tail in the main lobby. "How is she?" Erza asked the instant they were in hearing range.

* * *

"Why have you called us here?" A charming, steady voice asked, referring to the others that have gathered around.

"We must decide." A deeper, more commanding voice sounded.

"Decide?"

"As the strongest in this realm, we must vote on the worthy one in Earth Land."

"There are only two options." A more feminine voice said, moving her hands in a slow motion. "They are not balanced with each other." A silence reigned amongst the group as they thought of the impact of this decision.

* * *

Erza, Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Happy, and Charle abruptly stood from their seats when Makarov walked into the waiting room of the ICU. Each eagerly awaiting news of their friend. After three more hours of surgery, Lucy had been transferred back to the intensive care unit where she is monitored every second of the day. The Master sighed.

"What happened?" Erza asked, the only one brave enough to speak.

"Ice magic had entered the large cut on her side. Fire had burnt the wound close, thus the doctors stitched around it and applied a medical salve." Makarov began to explain, pausing to sigh. "Turns out, the ice that entered though her blood stream was carried into her lung, puncturing it."

"But couldn't the doctors detect the magic?" Wendy asked cautiously.

"They don't have a magic ward like we do in Magnolia. The doctors are not trained to deal with magic here." Makarov answered.

"Wouldn't the ice have disappeared or at least melted when inside her blood? Especially with Natsu's fire…" Happy trailed off.

"It was just a shard that had slipped passed and into the wound. It was pushed into Lucy's lung and must have melted when she started coughing blood." Makarov said.

"Oh…" Happy exhaled. Abruptly, the Ice mage pivoted on his heels and tensely walked out of the hospital, hands shoved inside the pockets of his pants. "Gray! Where-" The blue Exceed started to shout but stopped when a hand patted his head. He looked up to his partner, Natsu.

"Let him have a moment." Makarov said, turning to Wendy next. "Lucy is in stable condition for now. The staff is allowing us to bring in a magical healer. Are you up for it?"

"Of course!" Wendy said in determination, fisting her hands. The Master nodded and headed back into the ICU with Wendy and Charle following behind him.

"You three wait out here. It is still against regulations to let others into the ICU rooms." Makarov said, giving a silent look to Erza to take charge.

"We will wait here." Erza answered.

"But I should be with her." Natsu argued, trying to follow them.

"Wendy is a Fairy Tail wizard." Erza said sternly. "She will take care of our own."

* * *

Gray stared at the setting sun at the edge of town. His hands were still in his pockets as he stood, unmoving, for the past few hours. The day was almost over. Images of Lucy's shocked face as she switched places with Hino that day haunted his mind. If only he had reacted faster. Dispelled his magic faster. Her scream of pain rang in his ears. Gray clenched his fists in his pockets.

"There you are."

The Ice Make wizard turned his head slightly around to see his long time friend and rival, Natsu Dragneel. Not in the mood to talk to the Fire mage, Gray looked ahead and continued to stare at the sunset. Natsu took the last few steps to stand next to his friend. The Dragon Slayer didn't continue to speak, instead, basking in the silence.

Minutes past by before Gray broke the noiseless atmosphere, "What are you doing here?"

"We were looking for you, stripper. It's time for dinner." Natsu said, giving him a grin.

"Not hungry." Silence fell between the two of them once again.

"You know, Lucy won't be mad." The Fire mage said quietly. "She isn't hung up about Minerva. Doesn't even seem like she holds a grudge. That's just the kind of person Lucy is." Gray remained silent. "She'll forgive us, you know."

"I know."

"I mean, Erza was the one who made her step out of the fight in the first place-" Natsu continued but then stopped. "Wait, you know?" At this, Gray let the corner of his mouth curve upward.

"Of course I know, idiot." Gray replied. "And I find it weird that you're the one giving me this 'pep' talk."

"I wouldn't have to if I didn't find your sulking so creepy." Natsu scoffed, crossing his arms.

The conversation paused for a brief moment, letting Gray gather his thoughts to ask, "How's Lucy?" Natsu smiled.

"Wendy patched her up." The Fire Dragon Slayer exclaimed happily. "Lucy's not one-hundred percent healed yet, and Wendy said she probably won't be for a while." At this, Gray tensed. "But she's out of danger and no permanent damage was done. Now we just have to wait for her to wake up."

"Then we can finally take her home." Gray sighed in relief. "Have you seen her?"

"Of course." Natsu scoffed and started walking back into town. "When Gramps had her moved to a regular room instead of that noisy intensive crap unit, we stayed there until Wendy said she was hungry after using so much of her power."

"Intensive Care Unit." Gray corrected absently, slowly following his guild mate. "What did Wendy want to eat?"

"Some traditional stuff she used to eat while at Cait Shelter." Natsu said with a shrug. "Nirvits stew or air or whatever it was she said." Gray sighed in disappointment at his friend's memory and ability to listen.

"Hopefully nothing happens on our way home."

* * *

 **Please Review! :)**


	3. Hyperactivity

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Chapter Three: Hyperactivity

* * *

…Two Days Later… 1PM…

* * *

Master Makarov had taken a carriage then a train back to Magnolia the day before, saying something about Mirajane holding the fort down back home. Wendy and Charle stayed behind with the rest of the team, making sure that Lucy didn't have a sudden medical condition that needed urgent care. Although the last few days have been tense, the group could finally relax, knowing their blonde would pull through.

Taking a break from the stuffy hospital scene, the group left Lucy's side to order some food at the nearest restaurant for lunch. Through the emotional roller coaster, the team barely had the forethought to eat. Now, though, the ever ravenous Natsu and Happy stuffed their face with mountains of food as the rest of the group pretended not to notice it flying everywhere.

* * *

"You opened your gate on your own, again."

"I came to check on you." Loke replied, stepping up to his owner. "And you didn't look like you were going to open it any time soon." She lightly laughed.

"I figured you'd come out eventually." Lucy replied, looking up to the clear blue sky. Her spirit unexpectedly pulled the Celestial mage into a hug. "Loke?" He didn't reply. Lucy smiled softly and hugged him back. "I'm sorry to have worried you guys."

"You better be sorry to have worried us." The Lion Spirit hissed but then sighed, letting her go and looking her over. "You sure you should be out of bed?" Lucy lifted her shirt up slightly to check the sword wound Erza inflicted, finding her new skin slightly pink.

"Wendy is amazing, she didn't even leave a scar." She reassured, smiling brightly up to her friend. "I'm fine."

"You just woke up."

"Ah, you were watching me, were you?" Lucy joked, trying to lighten the mood. Leo rolled his eyes at his owner. "Is Virgo okay, too?"

"We weren't even hurt in that fight."

"Good," Lucy said with a smile, walking slowly towards a bench. He saw her slow gait and weak posture.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, quickly catching up and wrapping a supporting arm around her waist. "I can feel your exhaustion, you know."

"You can?" Lucy asked letting her spirit set her down on the bench.

"Of course. How do you think I always know when you're in danger?"

"Can the others feel things like that too?" She asked, looking down at the keys around her hips.

"Depends on the trust and love." Loke replied, sitting next to her. "But we can all feel your love for us, so yes, they can feel you, too."

"You know," Lucy said, swinging her legs back and forth. "If you guys ever need anything, you can always ask me. You know that, right?" She looked at him earnestly. Loke smiled, lightly putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close.

"We know."

"Even freedom." Lucy whispered, thinking back to their altered form. "I'll help you guys in any way I can."

"Don't worry." Loke reassured, leaning back against the bench and staring at the sky with her. "We know." A comfortable silence encased the two. "We'll always be there for each other."

* * *

"When do you think Lucy will wake up?" Natsu asked, putting his hands behind his head while they walked back to the hospital. "It's pretty boring in this town."

"When she recovers enough energy, flame brain." Gray retorted. "She used a lot of it to recuperate, plus her magic worked to counter our magic and she hasn't even recovered that yet."

"Be patient, Natsu." Erza scolded lightly, carrying a small cake box. The group looked at her then eyed the dessert.

"Erza-san, why did you buy cake? I thought you just ate some." Wendy asked.

"If Lucy wakes up today, she can have a real meal." Erza replied as if it were obvious.

"That is not a 'real meal'." Charle said quietly. The others nodded but the Re-quip mage ignored the comment.

"Aye! She at least has to have fish for it to be a 'real meal'." Happy exclaimed, pulling out a fish from his green bag.

"No way, she would recover way faster if she ate some fire chicken." Natsu argued with his Exceed. Gray, Wendy, and Charle sighed. If Lucy weren't ill now, she certainly would be getting a stomachache from the 'real meal' these fools were cooking up.

The group entered the hospital once again. The now familiar surroundings hadn't changed since the first day they entered with a battered and bruised Celestial mage. Currently, as if they knew the entire hospital layout, the group, minus Natsu, got into an elevator and went up to the third floor. Natsu opted to take the stairs. Upon arrival, nothing seemed to be out of place. The staff was calm and collected, checking on patients every now and again. The team slowly opened the door to their guild mate's room.

"Where the hell did she go?!" Natsu yelled, bursting back into the hallway. Erza busted out next, grabbing the nearest nurse and lifted him up by the collar of his shirt.

"Lucy Heartfilia," Erza said in a deadly serious tone. "Where is she?"

"Sh-she-" The nurse tried to reply but was head butted and fell crumpled onto the floor.

"Heartfilia, where is she?" Erza asked the next person. Before the other male nurse could answer, he was also knocked unconscious.

"Erza-san doesn't seem to have a need for people who can't answer right away." Wendy sighed, kneeling down by the first unconscious nurse and healing his minor injury.

"Ruffians." Charle sighed.

"Aye," Happy agreed, flying off to gather the nurses and nursing assistants that had been knocked out by the Re-quip mage.

By this time, Gray calmly walked up to the nurse at the nurse's station. She had her hand on a lacrima, no doubt about to call security. The Ice Make mage laid a hand on her hand to stop her. When she looked up, he gave her a dazzling smile – something he probably learned from Loke in his days before returning to the Celestial World.

"Lucy Heartfilia, the girl in room 309. Would you happen to know where she is? She didn't have a relapse, did she?" Gray asked, giving the nurse a genuinely worried frown.

"Stop your friends, then we can talk." The nurse replied back, not falling for the charms of the eighteen year old. "I'm going to call security."

Gray sighed, hurrying off to Erza and Natsu. The two of them were tag teaming the staff members while Wendy and the Exceeds were following a step behind, healing the victims.

"Ice Make: Chain!" Gray yelled, forming a chain of ice to wind around Erza and Natsu, pulling them together and then closer to him.

"Gray!" Natsu yelled. "We were about to get information."

"If you shut up, the kind nurse over there," Gray said, pointing to the nurse's station. "Is going to help us."

"Why didn't you say so?" Erza complained, easily breaking out of the ice and marching over to the nurse. "Lucy Heartfilia, wh-"

"Wanted to take a walk in the hospital garden." The nurse cut in, trying really hard not to be intimidated by the red haired mage in front of her.

"She's awake?" Natsu asked eagerly, appearing next to Erza.

"We had a nurse wheel her down there about twenty minutes ago." The nurse said, more calmly.

"Was she checked over by a doctor?" Gray asked.

"Yes, when she first woke up, a doctor had checked over her health. About forty minutes ago." The nurse replied, looking down at her watch for the time.

"Twenty minutes after we left for lunch." Happy said, flying over with Charle and Wendy.

"Where are the gardens?" Erza questioned next.

"First floor towards the right wing of the hospital." The Re-quip mage nodded in thanks and left to enter the elevator once again.

"Sorry for the mess." Wendy called over her shoulder as she quickly followed her friends. The nurse sighed in relief as the group left. The other hospital staff groaned as they each slowly got up from where the crazy red haired mage had left them.

* * *

"It's okay, I got it." Loke said as he saw the female nurse preparing the wheel chair for Lucy to go back to her room. "A pretty thing like you shouldn't do such manual labor." Lucy rolled her eyes. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same, she guessed. The young nurse blushed prettily, allowing the polished man in a suit to take over the preparations of the mandatory wheel chair for patients.

"Do you do this in the Celestial World too or is Earth Land just special?" Lucy asked dryly, still sitting on the bench she had stopped at earlier. She saw the nurse go back into the hospital.

"My dear princess, there is no need to be jealous." Loke replied, holding out a hand to help her up. "You know my love for you-"

Just as Lucy was about to whack the spirit upside the head, she was stopped by shouts of her name. The both of them turned to the side to see a stampede of their friends rushing from the entrance. They screamed her name again as they got closer. A blue ball of fur max speeded his way to her, crash landing onto her chest, pushing the poor Celestial Spirit mage down so she laid on her side on the bench.

"LOOSHY!" Happy yelled, crying into her shirt.

"Are you okay?" Loke asked worriedly, kneeling down by Lucy's head, making sure she didn't land on it when she fell sideways.

"Happy, be careful!" Charle scolded, flying at a more normal speed. "She's still injured!"

Lucy nodded to Loke as she let him help her sit back up. The Lion Spirit immediately checked for injuries on her head, and then lifted up her shirt just enough to see where the sword wound once was. Lucy lightly hugged Happy to her body and patted his head, trusting Loke to not do anything weird while she was injured.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled, having waited for her to get into a sitting position again before attempting to grab her into a relieved hug. He was beat by Erza as she hugged Lucy's head and brought the Celestial mage to her chest.

"Hard!" Lucy complained, her head knocking into the armor.

"Erza," Loke hissed, his worry multiplying every second their rowdy guild mates expressed their relief.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Erza said sincerely, ignoring Loke and pulling Lucy away to look her over. The Re-quip mage nodded in satisfaction at seeing the blonde look no worse for wear.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled again, now occupying the other side of the Celestial mage and hugged her to his hard, but not metal clad, chest. Lucy was getting light headed from the back and forth motions her friends were forcing her body to move in hug after hug – especially after the impact of the armor.

"Let her rest," Loke cut in, seeing that Lucy was getting dizzy. "She's still recovering."

"We're sorry, Lucy, you must still feel light headed and weak." Erza said. "Please, hit me for not thinking of your energy level."

"No, its okay." Lucy replied slowly, a smile breaking onto her face. "How are you guys faring?"

"Better, knowing that you're okay." Gray replied from behind her. Lucy turned her head around. The Ice mage laid an affectionate hand on her head, ruffling her hair lightly. "You're feeling okay, right?"

"A little weak, but okay." Lucy said honestly, looking over to find Wendy. "Wendy! Thank you so much for you help."

"No need for thanks, Lucy-san." Wendy said sincerely, giving everyone a glittering smile. "We were very worried." Happy, who was still cuddling into Lucy's chest, nodded in agreement.

"Sorry for scaring you all." Lucy said, laughing nervously. "I got a run down from the doctor."

"Did you?" Gray asked, tensing up. Lucy looked up.

"No worries, Gray. There's nothing to forgive." Lucy reassured, smiling brightly. "Accidents happen. I'm just happy you're all okay." The rest smiled with her.

"Now that that's settled," Loke said, getting up and offering his owner a hand up. "Let's get you some food."

"The cake!" Erza exclaimed in shock. She had dropped it when the group found the hospital bed empty.

"You want fire chicken, don't you, Lucy?" Natsu asked, getting up from his seat on the bench.

"No way, fish is so much better!" Happy exclaimed, sitting on the blonde's lap and pulling out the same fish as before.

"Can you leave the hospital?" Wendy asked, levelheaded. "Or we can get food for you from the cafeteria or a restaurant."

"The doctor said he would check on me again in an hour to see if I'm stable enough to go home. That was thirty minutes ago." Lucy said.

"Well, let's get you back to the room so that this can go quicker, then." Loke said, grabbing her hands and hoisting her up to her feet, leading her to the wheelchair. Happy fell off her lap and landed onto the ground. Natsu snickered at his friend.

"I can walk," Lucy complained lightly but let her spirit set her down onto the wheelchair.

"It's hospital regulation and I don't want you hurting yourself." Loke replied.

"Let's hurry, the faster you're out of here, the faster we can go home." Gray said, crossing his arms on his now bare chest.

"Gray, your shirt." Erza said absently, use to his habits. Gray let out a gasp and scrambled to get his shirt from the ground.

"I feel like we're just going back and forth." Charle sighed, flying back into the hospital.

"It's alright, as long as we're together." Wendy said innocently, walking after their group.

An hour later, the group found themselves outside of the hospital. Natsu was jumping around, shooting fire from his mouth and shouting about freedom. At this, Lucy sighed, saying that she was the one that should be saying such things. To get Lucy fed, the group went to a small café. Loke had left as soon as he was sure Lucy was getting some food into her weakened body, pointedly saying to stay safe while he was away. The Celestial mage just waved him off and felt his gate close.

"Let's walk home!" Natsu suggested in an overly excited voice.

"Lucy-san is in no condition to walk all the way home." Wendy reminded.

"It's already a six hour carriage ride to the nearest train station. Who knows how long it'll take to walk." Gray huffed. "Not even a perfectly healthy person would want to make that journey on foot."

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Erza asked, ignoring their banter. "Do you need me to carry you? Or I can put you on top of my luggage" Erza gestured to the huge cart of suitcases she was pulling along.

"No, it's alright. You guys are already slowing your walk for me, I don't want to burden you more." Lucy said, waving her hands in front of her. The group was walking towards the edge of town where a carriage would take them to the nearest train station that connected to Magnolia. "Besides you're already carrying my bag for me."

"Think nothing of it." Erza replied. "If it gets to be too much, don't hesitate to stop us." Lucy nodded in appreciation.

"It's around four o'clock in the afternoon right now." Charle said, looking at the clock tower that raised above all the other buildings in Cait Town. "If we can get a carriage now, we'll get to the train station at ten." Erza nodded.

"We can take the night train. It's only an hour train ride from there to Magnolia." The Re-quip mage calculated. "We both and Wendy live at Fairy Hills so I'll be walking home with you to make sure you're safe, and I'm sure Gray, Natsu, and Happy will walk Lucy home."

"If it's not a bother to them." Lucy said. "I know they live in two different directions than where I do."

"It will not be a bother to them." Erza answered for the guys. Lucy laughed lightly, deciding to ask the guys later.

"We can have a sleep over, Lucy!" Happy cried happily, doing a back flip in the air. Lucy blushed heavily, whether in embarrassment or anger, Charle and Erza didn't know.

"But it's six hours!" Natsu complained.

"Suck it up, you big baby." Gray insulted. "Wendy is a Dragon Slayer and she isn't complaining!"

"Wendy…!" Natsu started to say but stopped and turned to the Sky Dragon Slayer. "Wait, why don't you get motion sick? Is your Dragon Slaying magic not strong enough yet?" He asked bluntly.

"That's rather rude. Wendy is plenty strong." Gray said, crossing his arms.

"Thank you, Gray-san, but I am not even near the level Natsu-san nor Gajeel-san are." Wendy said modestly. "Even if I was, I probably wouldn't be affected by motion sickness."

"What?!" Natsu yelled, making the others look over. "That's not fair. How come? Can you teach me?!"

"I'm sorry, Natsu-san." Wendy said nervously. "Sky magic is healing magic. It's almost like I have a built in Troia." Natsu sighed dejectedly.

* * *

…Next Day… Early Morning…

* * *

"Master, the paper came." Mirajane said as she entered the empty guildhall, it was too early for any of their rowdy guild mates to be awake. Makarov jumped down from the second floor banister, walking up to the eldest Take-Over mage.

"Thank you, my dear." He replied, taking the paper and hopping onto a table before looking at the front for current news. Mirajane went behind the bar counter and started setting up for the day ahead, even going ahead and getting a keg out for Cana when the Card mage decided to crawl out of bed.

"Would you like anything, Master?" Mira asked kindly.

"Some ale, if you please, Mira-chan."

"Already?" She only received a nod from the master as he continued to stare at the front cover of the newspaper. "Is there something concerning you, Master? You've been staring awfully hard at the newspaper."

"There was a train derailment last night between Oshibana and Kunigi." Master said, absently taking a sip of the ale Mirajane placed in his hand.

"Heading in our direction or towards Clover Town?" Mira asked next, looking over his shoulder to read a little and confirm it was heading towards Magnolia. "Why are you staring so hard at it? Were any of our members travelling on this railway?"

"Erza's team was in Cait Town. The closest train station is Oshibana."


	4. Home Base

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Chapter Four: Home Base

* * *

Mirajane froze in her spot, slowly taking her eyes from the newspaper to the short old man that was more powerful than he looked.

"They weren't coming home last night, were they?" Mira asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. She quickly took the newspaper from his hands and flipped it open to read the full story. "No one was hurt on this train, right?"

"I'm not sure how Lucy is fairing." Master answered honestly. "Erza hasn't contacted us with any more news." The Master let his child continue reading, seeing her face slowly soften. He then heard her sigh in relief. "Good news?"

"The train derailed but Blue Pegasus' Trimens were riding on it."

"And that's good news?" Master asked, grabbing the paper back from Mira.

"Ren uses Air magic." Mira explained. "When the train derailed, he just lifted it up and gently placed it back onto the ground." Master nodded in approval.

"No one was hurt, so even if they were on their way back, they would be fine." Makarov said, reading more of the story. "It's safe to say that the trains coming towards Magnolia won't be in commission until this is figured out."

"Which means it will take longer for them to get back." Mira sighed, thinking about her friends. The Take-Over mage continued to prepare for the day, making a nice breakfast for the Master and herself in the kitchen.

Slowly, as the hours ticked by, guild members lazily made their way into the guild. Levy showed up, eagerly looking for any sign of her best friend, sighing when not a speck of blonde appeared in her vision. The whole guild knew about the hiccup Natsu's team encountered during their mission and were worried for their Celestial Spirit mage. Everyone was eagerly awaiting for the return of the team, but life continued on. Other members went on missions and others came back. Just knowing that Lucy was in capable hands and in stable condition let the guild relax some.

Almost everyone relaxed some.

"Come on, Levy," Jet said soothingly, patting the girl on the back. "Lucy is fine, there's no need to be so worried."

"But it's been days now. Master said she was fine, so why aren't they coming back?" Levy whined, laying her head in her arms, which were on the table.

"They're probably just waiting for her to recover her strength before travelling such a long way." Droy answered.

"Tch,"

Levy's eye twitched in irritation as she heard the scoff from the person just a table away from Team Shadow Gear.

"Is there something you want to say, Gajeel?" Levy asked, lifting her head up to glare at the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"Nothing at all." Gajeel replied, shoving a handful of bolts and nails into his mouth. Levy stood up abruptly. Jet and Droy looked at each other.

"What, Gajeel?" Levy asked tensely. The days of constant worry were hard on her, making her patience run thin.

"If this is the same bunny girl I know, she won't be done in by our own guild's magic." Gajeel said, chewing loudly on his iron breakfast. "She's a Fairy Tail mage, isn't she?" Levy calmed down at his words and let out a relieved breath, sitting back down.

"Yeah, you're right." She answered softly, smiling. Gajeel scoffed again, stuffing more iron into his mouth. Pantherlily silently eyed his partner and the Solid Script mage while slowly drinking kiwi juice.

"Was he comforting her?" Jet whispered to Droy.

"We could've done that." Droy whispered back, slumping in his seat.

* * *

"Mira-nee," Lisanna greeted, sitting on a bar stool.

"Hi, Lisanna, what can I do for you?" Mira asked, leaning her forearms on the counter and giving her full attention to her little sister.

"Elf-nii-chan and I go on lots of missions together," Lisanna started. The older Strauss sibling nodded. "It's just the two of us, you know?"

"Is that a problem?" Mira asked in confusion. To the best of her knowledge, her younger siblings weren't arguing or on bad terms.

"No, not at all!" Lisanna hurriedly said. "And sometimes you go on missions with us, which allows us to go on bigger missions."

"Okay?" Mira said slowly.

"Is it easier, going as a big team rather than just one partner?" Lisanna asked softly. "It's not that I'm doubting Elf-nii-chan's abilities. He's crazy strong! But sometimes I just wonder if it's easier in a bigger group."

"I see." Mirajane answered, slowly thinking of a good response.

"But after what happened to Lucy…" Lisanna continued, trailing off. "Maybe it's easier being in a smaller group? Maybe like Team Shadow Gear or just two people like I'm doing now. Is going on a mission by yourself scary?"

"Why are you so worried all of a sudden?" Mira asked instead, grabbing a can of soda for her precious little sister and setting it in front of her. Lisanna fiddled with the straw in her newly acquired drink. Mira patiently waited for Lisanna to answer the question.

"Elf-nii-chan seems to be interested in spending more time with Evergreen, and going on missions with her. Or, at least, that's what it looks like." The younger Strauss confided. "And I want him to be with her. It's just…"

"Now you don't know how to go about your missions." Mirajane said, smiling lightly, laying a reassuring hand on Lisanna's arm. "Evergreen is in a team of her own, so they probably won't go on every mission together."

"Yeah, probably not."

"And if anything I can always go with you if you're too anxious to go alone." Mira encouraged. Lisanna smiled at her sister.

"Thanks, Mira-nee." The younger Strauss said sincerely.

"You can ask other members to go with you, you know. We're all family here."

"I know." Lisanna said, nodding.

"As for a big group," Mira said, elongating her last word. Lisanna cocked her head to the side. "You can ask Natsu's team."

"Ask them what?"

"Ask to join them, of course." Mira said as if it were obvious. "Just to see if you enjoy being in a big team rather than just a partner or two."

"I don't think they would want to go on a mission for a little while." Lisanna said sympathetically. "Lucy needs time to recover fully."

"You're right." Mira agreed whole-heartedly. "But when the team recoups, maybe you can ask to shadow them. Just remember, bigger teams tend to take higher paying jobs, which probably means they're more dangerous."

"Because they need to split the reward more ways. I know, Mira-nee."

"And or they go on missions more often." Mira said, shrugging, taking a sip of Lisanna's soda. "But even with the danger, you always have more friends around to watch your back. Just because they got into a blunder this time doesn't mean it happens all the time. They usually come home hardly scathed at all."

"I'll ask to accompany them when they come back and are more settled." Lisanna said in determination. Mirajane smiled and patted her sister on the head.

"Don't rush them." Mira laughed, seeing her sister's enthusiasm at trying a new team dynamic. Mirajane then went around the bar, asking her other guild mates if there was something they wanted.

Lisanna stayed sitting at the bar, sipping at the soda absently while thinking of a way to approach the team. It wasn't that any of them were on bad terms or were awkward around each other. In fact, Lisanna had a great relationship with the members of the team, having grown up with three of them and chatted frequently with the other two. She just didn't want to intrude on the team at such a critical moment.

* * *

…12PM…

* * *

"I never want to ride a carriage ever again." Natsu groaned, walking in a slouched posture, his backpack parallel to the ground.

"You say that every time." Happy said, flying slowly next to the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Lucy," Erza said, getting Lucy's small suitcase off of the pile of larger suitcases. "Will you be okay walking home?"

"You shouldn't strain yourself so much." Wendy said worriedly, eyeing the suitcase. "Don't carry things that are too heavy up to your apartment."

"I know, I know." Lucy said with a sigh. She had been getting this lecture since yesterday.

"I'll be more than happy to accompany you home." Gray said, taking the suitcase away from Lucy. "I can bring this up for you too."

"Gray, you live in a different direction, I'll be okay." Lucy argued, trying to take the suitcase back. "Thanks for the offer."

"It's fine." Gray said, tugging away from her grabbing hand and headed towards Strawberry Street. "I thought you said you wanted a bath? You can get to it faster if you stop arguing with us." Lucy sighed in defeat and followed the Ice Make mage.

"Wait for us!" Happy called out, valiantly pushing Natsu forward.

"We'll see you later at the guild. I'm sure everyone would be happy to know you're okay, Lucy." Erza said, going through the entrance of Magnolia with Wendy and Charle following her back to Fairy Hills.

"See you later!" Lucy said, walking further away with Gray, Natsu, and Happy.

"Are you sure you should go to the guild later?" Natsu asked, getting more of his bearings back. "Maybe you should stay at home and rest."

"That's all I've been doing lately." Lucy sighed.

"Because that's what is best for you to recover faster." Gray retorted.

"It's not like going to the guild is a strenuous activity." Lucy mumbled.

"Happy and I will come get you in a few hours then, if you really want to go." Natsu said, looking at her pointedly.

"Yeah!" Happy exclaimed. "We can walk there together and make sure you don't trip over a pebble or something. You're weird like that, you know." Lucy wanted to run a hand down her face at that comment.

* * *

An hour later, Erza stepped out of her room at Fairy Hills and made her way down to the guild. The guild was usually energetic around this time, so it came to no surprise to the S-class mage that she could hear her rowdy guild mates even with the door closed. Slowly, Erza pushed the large doors to Fairy Tail open, stepping inside casually. She headed to the bar to obtain a slice of strawberry cake from Mirajane. A gasp echoed across the guildhall, stopping everyone in his or her tracks and look to the newcomer.

"Erza! Welcome home!" Mira said loudly, breaking the silence. Suddenly, cheers rang through the guild as everyone stood up and lifted up whatever drink they had in their hands.

"Are we celebrating something?" Erza asked. This was a bit much for just coming back from a mission.

"Your safe return, of course." Mirajane answered, placing a piece of cake onto the counter. The Re-quip mage continued walking to the counter.

"Where's everyone else?" Macao, the fourth master, asked, getting up from his spot. The rest of Fairy Tail eagerly awaited the answer.

"If you mean Lucy, she's safe at home freshening up after the long journey." Erza said knowingly, smiling slightly. "She might come by, but it would be best for her to rest." With that, the guild burst into cheers again, relieved that their Celestial Spirit mage was safe and healing nicely.

"What is all this yelling about?" a voice asked from the entrance.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia cried, flooding the guild with her happy tears. "You're home! Juvia is so relieved!" The sudden flood in the guild swept everyone up in the tidal wave.

"Gray! Stop her!" Wakaba yelled, biting at his pipe while trying to stay afloat.

"Why me?!" Gray yelled in distress, also getting caught in the water.

* * *

Lucy sighed happily, wrapping a towel around her wet body as she got out of the bath. She stretched her arms up but winced slightly as her almost healed wounds tugged.

"I really needed that bath." Lucy said, turning to her Celestial Spirit still sitting in the warm bath water.

"Pu pn." Plue mumbled out in a relaxed tone. The Canis Minor Nicola Celestial Spirit looked ready to melt sitting in such warm water even though it was trembling. Lucy giggled lightly, reaching down and picking up the Dog Spirit.

"I think you've had enough." The girl said in amusement. She then crept out of the bathroom, slowly looking around to check for any of her wayward teammates. Sighing in relief, Lucy stepped out and placed Plue on the table. "I would love to have some of Mira's cooking right now. Doesn't that sound nice, Plue?"

"Puu!" Plue said, seeming to agree as he raised his paw up.

Lucy quickly, but carefully dressed in a loose long sleeve button up shirt to lessen the irritation on her injuries and surgical areas and a pair of jean shorts. She let her hair stay unbound and checked herself in the mirror to make sure she was presentable. The Celestial Spirit mage turned around and laughed as she saw the puddle Plue had created on the table when all the water dripped off of his shaking body.

"I'm sorry, Plue." Lucy said, getting a clean towel and rubbing down her Spirit. "There, all dry."

"Pnn pnn!"

Lucy hummed a tune as she moved Plue and wiped up the small puddle – she hoped that it was water. When she finished, Lucy tossed the towels into the laundry basket, thinking she'd do it later. Looking around, Lucy couldn't help but think it was quiet without her teammates around. Sighing happily at the noiseless apartment, Lucy laid down on her bed, closing her eyes for just a moment.

.

.

.

The Celestial mage abruptly sat up. It was too quiet.

"Natsu said he would come get me." Lucy sighed dejectedly. Plue cocked his head to the side, stuffing a lollipop into his mouth. She smiled at her Spirit, falling back onto the bed again, hoping her friend hadn't forgotten to come get her. He was forgetful like that.

* * *

"Gray-sama! Juvia was so worried!" Juvia wailed, clinging onto Gray's arm as he tried to dislodge her.

"Juvia! Cut it out!" Gray yelled, his face turning red.

"Although Lucy-san is Juvia's love rival, Juvia is glad to see the team back at home and safe." Juvia said, cuddling into Gray's arm. The Ice Make mage's face turned redder at her actions but lightly patted her back with his other arm.

"Yeah…" Gray trailed of, awkwardly keeping his hand on her back. "I'm glad we're home safe, too." Juvia smiled as she leaned into him closer.

"How cute." Cana whispered with a smirk. "Juvia plays it well."

"Plays what well?" Romeo asked innocently, sitting next to her. He then looked over to the blushing Gray and the happy Juvia. "Oh." Cana laughed, patting Romeo on the head.

"Maybe you hang out at the guild too much." Cana said, continuing to laugh.

"And you are not to play this game well until you're older, understood?" Macao cut in, crossing his arms as he came up to their table. "And especially do not take advice from Cana."

"Come on, Macao!" Cana complained, taking another mouthful from the keg in front of her. Romeo sighed as he walked away from their argument. Fairy Tail was finally getting back to normal.

If only that was a good thing.

* * *

"Charle, do you think the guild is safe to go in yet?" Wendy whispered to her partner as the two of them stood behind the pillar of the front gate of Fairy Tail's guildhall.

"It doesn't sound like a hurricane in there anymore." Charle said cautiously. "Hooligans. This entire guild is full of them." Wendy giggled behind her hand.

"But what a nice family to have." Wendy responded softly, staring at the door fondly. The Sky Dragon Slayer carefully directed her super human hearing to inside the guild, deciding that things were settling down. "I think it's safe."

Charle sighed as she followed Wendy cautiously to the door. And these fools were Fiore's number one guild? They were greeted with cheers and welcomes. The white Exceed smiled, walking in with her partner. She supposed they weren't so bad. Wendy was right, what a nice family to have.

* * *

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled from outside of the blonde's apartment. Without even thinking about it, the Fire Dragon Slayer leapt up to the second story window, opening it. Lucy always left it unlocked anyways. "Lucy?"

"She's sleeping." Happy whispered, flying in behind the Dragon Slayer.

"Puun pn." The duo looked to the foot of the bed and saw Lucy's Celestial Spirit, Nicola, whom Lucy had named Plue.

"Oh, hey, Plue." Natsu said, hopping a little to land on the floor by the bed. "How are you?"

"Puu! Pn punn pn." Plue exclaimed happily.

"That's great." Natsu replied with a wide smile. Happy flew in and sat next to the little white dog. The three of them then turned to look at a sleeping Lucy as she lightly rolled onto her side.

"She must still be tired." Happy said, gently rubbing Lucy's bare leg. The Celestial mage probably hadn't planned on sleeping since she was above the covers. "She didn't even yell at us for coming in through the window."

"It looks like it's taking more energy to recover than we thought." Natsu sighed, picking up the blonde in his arms. "Happy, Plue, can you get the blankets?"

"Aye sir!" Happy said as he and Plue hurried to the head of the bed and pulled the covers down. Natsu gently laid his partner back into bed, tugging the blankets over her to keep her warm.

"Maybe I'll take her to the guild tomorrow." Natsu sighed, looking at the Celestial mage worriedly.

"It's only a little past two in the afternoon." Happy said, looking up at the clear blue sky out the window.

"Pn," Plue agreed.

"We'll go to the guild first and get Mira to make some of her yummy stew for Lucy." Natsu exclaimed as if it were the best idea in the world. He walked towards the desk and pulled out the first writing utensil he saw and started scribbling on a little notepad.

"Yeah! If we bring her food, Lucy will definitely want to play with us." Happy said, summoning his wings. "Want to come with us, Plue?" The Celestial Spirit looked worriedly at his owner.

"Don't worry, we'll keep you safe." Natsu reassured. "And Loke runs off without saying anything to Lucy all the time." Plue took one last look at his key owner before nodding. Natsu gently picked up the little dog and hopped onto the windowsill, securely closing the window.

"Do you think the others are already at the guild?" Happy asked.

"Probably. We had to wait for Lucy to take her bath and you know how long that took." Natsu groaned.

"Puun pue." Plue exclaimed.

"If you say so, Plue." Natsu said, shrugging. Eventually, the little group found themselves at Fairy Tail's door. With Plue clutched in his arms, Natsu kicked the doors open. "We're back!" A plethora of welcomes were heard throughout the guildhall.

"Where's Lucy?" Erza asked when the pink haired man made his way to the bar counter. Happy flew off to find Charle.

"Yeah, you said you were going to pick her up." Gray added. "Don't tell me you forgot her."

"Of course not!" Natsu exclaimed. "See?" With that, the Fire Dragon Slayer lifted up Plue proudly. "She was sleeping. Probably still tired from the carriage ride here." He shuddered at the mere thought of that retched trip back. The trains weren't operating, so the group took a carriage back, which, in Natsu's opinion, was utter hell.

"So you took her Spirit?" Mira asked, wiping a mug dry. Gray hit his palm to his forehead in frustration.

"No!" Natsu denied, setting Plue onto the counter. "Plue wanted to come with us."

"She's asleep but the gate is still open?" Levy asked, coming over to the group to see where her best friend was. Plue nodded in confirmation.

"She must be pretty strong to keep a gate open without even thinking about it." Jet said, having followed Levy to the counter.

"Lucy is plenty strong." Natsu argued, crossing his arms. Jet automatically lifted his hands in submission, not wanting to get into a scuffle with the Salamander.

"Will she be able to come to the guild tomorrow?" Levy asked, diffusing the situation.

"Probably." Natsu said, but then abruptly turned to Mira. "I forgot! Can you make Lucy some of that yummy soup? She needs the energy."

"Of course." Mira said pleasantly, turning to the kitchen to get the ingredients ready.

"You sure are thoughtful, Natsu." Levy teased, lightly jabbing the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"The faster she gets healthier, the better." Natsu said seriously, oblivious to what Levy was actually teasing about. The Solid Script mage and Jet sighed.

"When she gets better, can I ask for a favor?" Lisanna asked, slowly walking up to everyone at the bar.

"A favor?" Natsu asked. Erza and Gray looked over at the white haired girl. Lisanna nodded, looking at each member of Team Natsu.


	5. The Magnificent Plan

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Chapter Five: The Magnificent Plan

* * *

Lucy groggily pushed herself onto her elbow, rubbing her eye with a fist. The blankets slowly slipped from her shoulders, making the blonde shiver at the loss of warmth. She looked around her apartment in confusion, realizing she must've fallen asleep. The sun was just about to start setting for the day, casting an orange glow into the room.

"I don't remember going under the covers." Lucy mumbled to herself, slowly sitting up, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Plue? You're still here?" She called to the empty apartment as she felt Plue's gate remain open. The small amount of magic she was losing each minute hardly bothered her; she was recovering it just as fast due to the minuscule amount that was needed to maintain the gate open. "Plue?" Lucy called out again, opening her eyes fully to look at her empty apartment. "Where'd you go?"

The Celestial Spirit mage shrugged, not sensing any distress coming from the little spirit. She got up from her bed, pulling the covers back up to tidy it. Stretching out her muscles gently, Lucy looked around again. It was odd that none of her friends were bothering her. Sighing, she walked to her desk; maybe writing a letter to her mother would make her feel better. As she sat down, the chicken scratches on her notepad caught her attention.

 _Took Plue to the guild. Be back later._

 _\- Natsu_

"That answers my question." Lucy sighed, getting out a piece of paper. "Dear, Mama…"

* * *

"I can't believe Plue is still here." Lisanna said, watching the little spirit dance around with Happy and Natsu. "Isn't Lucy's magic going to run out soon?"

"From what Lucy has told me, Plue's key doesn't take much magic at all." Levy answered, sitting at the same table as the Take-Over: Animal Soul mage. "The Nicola spirit is usually just a pet."

"I see." Lisanna said, smiling at the cute little dog. "Lucy sure is strong, even if it doesn't take much to keep Plue here." The Solid Script mage laughed at that.

"Of course she is. She has to be in order to keep up with her team." Levy joked. Lisanna laughed as well, thinking of all the destruction Team Natsu brought upon Fiore.

"Are you sure Natsu didn't have anything weird to drink?" Jet said from across the table. The girls and Droy turned to the hyperactive Fire Dragon Slayer, dancing to the beat of silent music while shooting fire out of his mouth.

"Maybe crazy just became contagious." Droy answered, eyeing Happy and Plue dancing with Natsu.

"Anyways," Levy said, turning away from the sight and looking at Lisanna again. "If you ever want to join Team Shadow Gear on a mission for experience, you're more than welcomed to." Levy smiled brightly.

"Thanks, Levy." Lisanna replied happily. "Natsu's team sure is big, I'm sure a smaller team would be good to experience." Levi nodded in agreement.

"Besides, Natsu's team is sure to destroy a town or two. Who knows if they'll get the full reward?" The Solid Script wizard jested, making the table laugh at how true the comment was.

In another part of the guild, Gray sat with his head in his hand, shaking it in disappointment. Juvia sat next to him and Erza on the other side of the table with Wendy and Charle. The Ice Make mage was watching his friend make a fool of himself in the middle of the guild.

"Man," Gray mumbled. "What's gotten into him?"

"He's probably just letting out the stress from the past few days." Erza replied calmly, scooping up another forkful of, yet another, piece of cake.

"It has been stressful, lately." Wendy agreed, giggling behind her hand as she watched the elder Dragon Slayer dance. "But perhaps he should put on some music?" Beside her on the table, Charle sighed in embarrassment.

"Juvia thinks Gajeel-kun should play his guitar." Juvia suggested, looking around for the Iron Dragon Slayer while secretly inching closer to the oblivious Ice Make mage.

"I'd rather have it silent then." Gray mumbled quietly, blanching at the thought. Gajeel's shoo-bee-doo-ba tune echoed in Gray's mind, making him tremble.

"Are you shaking in excitement, my love?" Juvia asked excitedly. Her suggestion was making Gray so happy! "Juvia shall find Gajeel-kun!" With that, the Water mage got up from the table to make Gray as happy as possible.

"Wait!" Gray yelled over the loud talking and laughter in the guild as he got up to physically stop her. He sighed in defeat and settled back down in his seat. The Ice Make mage felt piercing eyes on him. Sluggishly turning his head, his eyes met that of Erza's. Wendy nervously laughed next to the Re-quip mage.

"I'm sure it won't be so bad." Wendy reassured softly to the elder woman.

The bustling members of the guild didn't notice when the door softly opened and closed, letting in another person.

"All right, you little kidnapper, you better not have hurt my Spirit."

Everyone became quiet as they turned to the newcomer. There, just in front of the double doors, stood Lucy with her hands placed on her hips, a cute scowl on her face as she glared at Natsu.

"Lucy!" The guild members cheered in relief and excitement.

"Lu-chan!" Levy yelled, getting up and bear hugging her friend at the entrance.

"Levy-chan!" Lucy gasped as the smaller girl nearly tackled her to the ground.

"Lu! I was so worried." Levy said, hugging tighter.

"I'm alright now," The Celestial mage replied, gently hugging back. "Sorry to worry you."

Once Levy let go, Lucy walked across the guild, greeting everyone and apologizing for making them worry. Finally, the Celestial Spirit mage made it to the Fire Dragon Slayer standing in the middle of the guild with Happy and Plue. Promptly, Lucy lightly hit his arm.

"Ow, Lucy, what was that for?" Natsu complained, rubbing his arm.

"For kidnapping my friend." Lucy absently replied, picking up Plue and rubbing her cheek against Plue's head. "And don't complain, that didn't hurt."

"Plue wanted to come with us." Natsu pouted. The guild erupted into laughter at the scene. Lucy sighed but let it go and smiled at him.

"I'm going to sit with the others." Lucy said, walking away with Plue in her arms. Natsu, although hyper and dancing just a few minutes earlier, followed behind her. Happy, following Natsu, flew to Charle's side.

"Good to see that you're up." Erza said genuinely.

"Thanks, Erza." Lucy replied kindly, taking the seat that Juvia vacated next to Gray. If only she knew, she wouldn't have sat there. Natsu scooted in next to her.

"Looks like you feel alright enough to walk here." Gray commented. Lucy nodded. "Are you sure Plue isn't taking up too much power? He's been out for a while now."

"It's all right," Lucy said, patting Plue on the head while he sat on top of the table. "His gate doesn't take too much magic. And I'm recovering it just as fast, so no harm done." The Celestial mage took this moment to make sure her Spirit didn't look any worse for wear after being with the unruly Fire Dragon Slayer the past few hours.

"Do you want a fish, Charle?" Happy asked sweetly, pulling out a fish and handing it to the white Exceed. Charle stared at it in disinterest. The table stayed silent.

"I suppose," Charle accepted, taking the fish gently. Happy's smile widened, happily handing over his prized fish. Wendy sighed in relief. The white Exceed wasn't always so kind to Happy's innocent advances.

The guild was unexpectedly plunged into darkness, making all the occupants blink to adjust to the lighting change. Just as quickly as the lights went out, a spotlight was shined onto the stage at the back of the guildhall. The light revealed Gajeel in a pure white suit, sitting on a stool with a guitar in his lap. A bird was holding a microphone in front of his face.

"I wrote this song myself, it's called _Best Friend._ " Gajeel said in his deep voice into the microphone.

"Oh not this again," someone in the guild complained.

"Colorful, colorful, shoo-bee-doo-ba!" Gajeel sang as he strummed the guitar.

Some Fairy Tail members froze in their seat, gaping at the ever-confident Iron Dragon Slayer. Others egged him on more.

"Yeah!" Macao and Wakaba yelled in excitement, raising their arms up to cheer.

"Let's go, Gajeel-kun!" Juvia exclaimed happily, slowly making her way back to Team Natsu's table. "Love rival!" Juvia hissed, coming up behind Lucy with a menacing aura and a glare. Lucy squeaked in fright, quickly scooting away from Juvia's 'Gray-sama', inadvertently, pressing up against Natsu. The Water mage quickly squeezed herself in between Lucy and the Ice Make mage.

"Trembling with love, steel grey metallic!" Gajeel continued to sing. "Doo Doo Doo… Shalala." Brooms, mugs, plates, pens, anything the guild members could get their hands on were shooting through the air, aiming for the Iron Dragon Slayer.

On their way over to the stage, some objects fell short, landing in front of Lucy, making her already frayed nerves go crazier. With Juvia still glaring down at her and Plue closing his own gate to escape the madness, Lucy sighed, slumping down the bench and putting her head in her arms on the table.

"Shoo-bee-doo-ba!" Gajeel yelled. The angry guild members shouted in protest and others roared in delight. The noise level in Fairy Tail today exceeded most days.

"This is still the crappiest song I've ever heard!" Natsu screamed, standing up and putting his hands to his ears. A guitar flew at Natsu's face, knocking the Fire Dragon Slayer to the ground. Gajeel quickly followed his guitar and started to fight the Salamander. Other guild members either got caught up in their emotions and joined or were pulled into the warzone by their friends.

"Welcome home, Lucy." The Celestial Spirit mage mumbled to herself in her arms, but smiled gently, nonetheless. She was quite fond of home. It wouldn't be Fairy Tail without the ruckus, after all.

* * *

… The Next Day…

* * *

"Good morning, Lucy!" Mirajane called happily. The model was currently wiping the bar while chatting pleasantly with Erza who was sitting with a plate of real food in front of her. Lucy carefully crept into the guild, avoiding the bodies of her guild mates. The brawl yesterday really left a lot of people down for the count.

"Good morning," Lucy replied pleasantly, sitting next to the Re-quip mage.

"Morning." Erza said. "How was your night?"

"Even with the nap I took yesterday, I still fell asleep right away." Lucy groaned. Mira smiled sympathetically and put a strawberry milkshake in front of the Celestial mage. "Thanks." Lucy said genuinely.

"You're still recovering, there's no shame in sleeping for so long." Mira soothed. Lucy nodded, looking around the walls as she sipped the drink. Her eyes caught sight of the calendar hanging behind the bar and choked on her drink.

"Lucy!" Erza gasped, slapping the Celestial mage on the back – which, unfortunately, just knocked the air out of Lucy's lungs from the force. Coughing for another minute, the blonde finally got her breathing under control.

"What's wrong?" Mira asked, handing her a napkin.

"Is that calendar correct?" Lucy asked, her face paling. Mira looked behind her and slowly nodded. Groaning, Lucy hit her head onto the bar top multiple times.

"Stop hurting yourself." Erza said. "Is there something special coming up that you forgot about?"

"My rent is due in a week." Lucy groaned, lifting her head and made a crying sound.

"You don't have the money ready?" Mira asked, leaning on the bar to give her full attention to the Celestial mage.

"The last job was suppose to be enough to cover it, but the money went to the hospital bill." Lucy sighed.

"I could lend you some." Erza said as if it weren't a big deal at all.

"I feel bad enough for using the money you and the others earned on hospital bills." Lucy said truthfully.

"You don't have to feel bad." Mira pacified.

"Don't worry about such trivial things. We'd rather have you safe and healthy. Money is nothing compared to our precious nakama." Erza said sternly, placing a hand on Lucy's shoulder. The Celestial mage smiled at them.

"Well, I'm in no condition to go on a job now. I still feel like my side is about to rip open every time I move too fast." Lucy informed.

"You were cut by a very sharp sword." Erza said dryly.

"And I still feel winded if I try to jog at all." Lucy said next, ignoring Erza's comment.

"You had surgery on one of your lungs." The Re-quip mage said next, giving Lucy a deadpan look. The blonde sighed.

"At least your burns are healed already." Mirajane said with a bright smile. Lucy just thumped her head back onto the bar and Erza sighed.

"I'll just wait a few days and see if I feel better." Lucy sighed, turning her head to the side on the bar counter.

"Are you sure you don't want to borrow some money?" The Re-quip mage asked.

"No, no, no." Lucy said quickly, sitting up to look Erza in the eyes. "I will earn this money." Lucy replied in determination then let out another breath. "I'll just tell my landlady I might get it to her late."

"I'm sure she'll understand." Mira reassured, pushing the strawberry milkshake closer to the blonde in an attempt to cheer her up.

Erza watched the milkshake lightly slosh in the cup. Her eyes slowly travelled to the pale hand that was pushing the cup, then up the arm to look at the face of her friend. Mirajane. Mirajane Strauss. Strauss. Elfman and Lisanna Strauss. Lisanna. Lisanna! The Re-quip suddenly gasped, letting out a girlish squeak of surprise.

* * *

 _Flashback_

* * *

" _When she gets better, can I ask for a favor?" Lisanna asked, slowly walking up to everyone at the bar._

" _A favor?" Natsu asked. Erza and Gray looked over at the white haired girl. Lisanna nodded, looking at each member of Team Natsu._

" _What is it, Lisanna?" Erza asked, looking over curiously._

" _Well," Lisanna trailed off. "Is it nice to work in such a big team on missions?" The group blinked in confusion. Natsu, Gray, and Erza all looked at each other. "Five people and two Exceeds are a lot, and you have to split the reward so many ways." Lisanna continued._

" _It's nice." Natsu shrugged. "You're never lonely, that's for sure."_

" _We work well together." Erza said, adding her two cents._

" _And we know that we have each others back no matter what." Gray added, implying that bigger missions with higher rewards are safer the more trust there is between teammates._

" _It's not like we have to go on every mission together." Natsu scoffed, giving a glare in Gray's direction. The glare was returned._

" _You're not fighting, are you?" Erza asked absently._

" _No!" Natsu and Gray yelled in a fake, cheery voice. Lisanna giggled._

" _Why do you ask?" Erza said next, eyeing the young girl with a tilt of her head._

" _And what's this favor you need us to do?" Natsu asked. The Take-Over: Animal Soul mage silently organized her thoughts._

" _I was hoping to join you on a mission." Lisanna said sheepishly. The group was slightly stunned silent._

" _What about Elman?" Gray asked, knowing the Take-Over: Beast Soul mage was Lisanna's usual partner._

" _He's been spending more time with Evergreen." Lisanna said with a giggle. "And I was just…"_

" _Did you want to join our team?" Natsu asked curiously, unable to understand this shy version of Lisanna. The youngest Strauss quickly shook her head._

" _Not join, per say." Lisanna quickly said. "With Elfman so busy with Evergreen lately, I might need to find new partners for missions. I just want to experience what it's like to be in a bigger team rather than just two people."_

" _I see." Erza said, nodding in understanding._

" _So I was hoping to just accompany you for a mission or two." Lisanna continued to explain. Natsu, Gray, and Erza looked at each other again._

" _I don't see why not." Gray said, turning back to the white haired mage. "It's just…"_

" _Oh! It doesn't have to be right away!" Lisanna reassured. "Lucy should recover fully before going on another mission."_

" _I'm glad you understand." Erza sighed._

" _That was the favor?" Natsu asked incredulously. "Jeez, the way you were speaking, you made it sound like it was some kind of big deal!"_

" _I don't want to intrude." Lisanna huffed. "Especially now since Lucy is so hurt."_

" _Just say it next time you want to ask something." Natsu grumbled. His brain hurt from the conversation that kept going in circles._

" _We'll inform you the next time we plan on taking a mission." Erza said with a nod of confirmation._

" _Thanks, guys." Lisanna said, grinning._

" _See, Lisanna, that wasn't so bad." Mirajane joked, laughing lightly._

* * *

 _End Flashback_

* * *

"Erza?" Lucy asked in confusion, looking at the Re-quip mage in concern. "Did something happen?"

"Uh…" Erza said unsurely. She had just stood up and gasped, scaring her two friends. "No, nothing happened."

"If you say so." Mira said slowly before going back to work, tidying up the bar some more. Lucy looked at her teammate for another moment before shrugging.

"Whoa, this place is a mess." Max said as he walked in with Warren.

"Welcome home. How was the mission?" Mira called out to them, disregarding the usual mess of bodies and broken furniture in the guild.

* * *

…Later…

* * *

"What a good nap!" Natsu groaned, stretching his tired muscles as he sat up.

"Nap? You've been asleep since yesterday's fight ended!" Lucy informed, walking over to him. "It's past noon now."

"Oh?" Natsu asked, blinking. "Man, that was a good fight!" She sighed and kneeled down.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Wendy is doing damage control on the stage." Lucy said, checking for any visible marks. Natsu stretched his arms up.

"Nah," The Fire Dragon Slayer huffed. "Gray couldn't even land a hit on me."

"Me?! I might've hit you too hard in the head because _you_ were definitely the one that didn't land a hit on _me_." Gray argued, picking up a table nearby to right it – even though there was a large crack down the middle. Lucy sighed in exasperation, getting up and walking away. She did not want to be in the middle of another fight between her two teammates.

Lucy looked around the guild and helped as much as she could. Of course, every single member of Fairy Tail had stopped her from lifting any of the furniture so she didn't strain her injuries. Lucy loved her guild mates and appreciated their concern, but really, she could pick up a mug from the ground without bleeding to death. So, Lucy was put on semi-sweeping duty – meaning she swept up the broken pieces of furniture and all items that were thrown to the stage into a growing pile in the middle of the guild where someone else put it in a garbage bag.

"How are you holding up, Wendy?" The Celestial mage asked, handing a water bottle to the Sky Dragon Slayer. Wendy let out a sigh of relief as she finished with her latest patient.

"Fine, Lucy-san." Wendy answered, gratefully accepting the water and taking a drink.

"You shouldn't push yourself. You know they'll start fighting again soon enough." Charle said, crossing her arms as she watched over Wendy.

"It's alright, Charle. I enjoy this kind of work." Wendy said honestly. Lucy put her hand on Wendy's head.

"Don't forget to stop for lunch, though, all right?" Lucy reminded. Wendy nodded eagerly, getting back to work. The Celestial mage hopped off of the stage, worrying some of the members nearby. She laughed nervously, waving them off. Lucy looked around to see how else she could help fix up the guild.

Erza was sitting on a table the red haired mage had picked up earlier, deep in thought. The Re-quip mage had been deep in thought since morning after her episode of surprise for no reason. Lucy got a slice of strawberry cake from Mirajane and two forks. Going over to the red head, Lucy placed the plate down in front of Erza, making a slight clicking noise when the plate hit the wood. Erza looked up, startled out of her thoughts.

"Lucy," Erza said in relief, letting her guard back down.

"I thought we could share this." Lucy said calmly, giving Erza one of the forks. "I didn't see you have any yet and I know it's your favorite lunch."

"Lunch?" Erza asked, shocked at what time it was. Lucy laughed.

"Yes, Erza. It's twelve-forty in the afternoon, which is lunchtime." The Celestial Spirit mage jested. "Here," Lucy pushed the cake a little closer while sitting down next to her.

"Thanks." Erza said softly, taking a forkful and eating it. Lucy took a smaller bite of the cake and chewed it thoughtfully, staring at the entranced Re-quip mage. Erza absently took another bite, and then a third.

"Erza?" Lucy whispered. The red head turned to her. "Are you sure you're alright? You've been in your own world since this morning." Erza gave Lucy a closed lip smile, bringing the Celestial mage into a hug. "Hard!"

"Thanks for worrying." Erza said softly, letting the blonde go. "You don't need to worry, I was just thinking of something."

"If you're sure." Lucy said, unsure of whether to believe the older woman. Lucy rubbed her head lightly from the impact. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm always available for you, because we're friends, right?" Erza smiled again, nodding.

"Of course we're friends, Lucy. We're family." The Re-quip mage said in her softest voice. "But don't concern yourself over this, I'm thinking of something good."

"Oh?" Lucy inquired, cocking her head. Erza continued to chow down on the piece of cake. The Titania nodded, not saying anything more. Lucy, who only had a bite of the cake, let Erza finish it, just happy to see that her friend was all right, after all.

* * *

…2 Days Later…

* * *

"Mira, we're taking this one." Erza said, placing a flyer onto the bar counter. Mirajane looked over and took out her missions' logbook. The She-Devil then looked at the group in front of her.

Erza was raring to go, her luggage cart sitting at the entrance of the guild. Gray stood a little farther away from the bar, his arms crossed over the strap of his travel bag with a confused look on his face. Natsu, who also had his backpack and ever-present blanket roll, was hunched over with a brooding expression. Happy was on top of Natsu's head looking down worriedly at the Fire Dragon Slayer. Wendy and Charle were standing closer to the Re-quip mage, looking at each other and shrugging. The Sky Dragon Slayer was carrying her overnight bag, as well.

The oddest thing about this group wasn't that Lucy was missing, but Lisanna was standing next to Erza, looking every bit as perplexed as the other members of Team Natsu.

"Subdue a monster that's nearing Crocus." Mirajane read out loud, marking it down in the logbook. "Alright, be safe and good luck on your mission."

"We'll be back just before the end of the month." Erza informed, picking up the flyer again.

"Take care of Lisanna." Mira said, sharing a glance with her sister. Erza nodded.

"Don't worry, Mira-nee. We have each other." Lisanna reassured.

"Wait, are you going on a mission?" Lucy asked, jogging up to the group from her table with Levy. "Take me with you." Erza put her hands on Lucy's shoulders.

"You need time to rest." Erza said softly, meaning no harm. Lucy glanced over at Lisanna in confusion for just a second before locking eyes with Erza again. "Lisanna asked to accompany us to experience what it was like in a large group. We decided, while you rest, it would be ample time to take Lisanna out. Too many members on a mission can get dangerous as well."

"We did?" Gray mumbled, but Natsu and Wendy heard him. The Fire Dragon Slayer just huffed again, his mouth staying shut; courtesy of Erza's threat earlier.

"But I-" Lucy tried to argue, but thought better of it. "I see." The Celestial mage said instead, a little crestfallen at being left behind. "Okay, then I'll see you when you get back." Erza lightly gripped Lucy's shoulders before letting go.

"We'll treat you to something nice when we get back." The Re-quip wizard said, leading the group to the guild doors.

"Bye, Lucy-san!" Wendy called out, going after the red haired mage.

"Bye, everyone. Be careful out there." Lucy said, cheering them on with a small smile and a wave.

"I promise to take care of them, Lucy." Lisanna whispered, walking up to the Celestial mage. "I'm not trying to replace you or anything. I honestly just want to know what it's like in a big group." Lucy shook her head.

"You don't need to explain anything." Lucy reassured, hugging Lisanna lightly, letting go swiftly so the Take-Over mage could catch up to the retreating group. "Good luck."

"See you later!" Lisanna said, lightly jogging away. When the group was out the door, Lucy sighed and walked back to Levy's table.

"Are you okay, Lu-chan?" The Solid Script wizard asked worried. Lucy put on a brave smile.

"Yeah." The blonde said. "I understand their reasoning."

"But?" Levy asked worriedly. Lucy sighed again.

"I needed the money." The Celestial mage responded, staring at the table.

"Are you sure you don't want me to lend you some money?" Levy asked. "I have enough for my own rent so you don't need to worry." Lucy shook her head.

"I want to prove that I can live on my own."

"No one said you couldn't. Besides, being injured wasn't your fault."

"It's not that anyone said anything its just…" Lucy trailed off. The blue haired woman thought about it for a few seconds.

"You want to prove it to yourself?" Levy asked. The Celestial mage nodded. "It's okay to ask for help."

"I'm only a little short. I'm sure my landlady will understand if I'm a few days late." Lucy said, smiling genuinely to her best friend. "And I know it's okay to ask for help. But I don't think I need help in this situation. I'll be alright." Levy just smiled back, nodding to her friend.

* * *

"Why'd we have to leave Lucy behind?" Natsu yelled the second the group was out of earshot of the guild.

"Yeah, Erza, what's the big deal?" Gray asked more calmly. "I thought we agreed on waiting until Lucy feels better."

"I told you it was part of my plan." Erza said with a satisfied smile.

"And you also threatened to beat us if we protested in front of her." Gray said dryly. "So what's this brilliant plan of yours?"

"It's not the same without Lucy." Happy whimpered, still sitting on Natsu's head.

"Her rent is due in a few days." Erza started to explain. "And she won't accept any money no matter who lends it to her."

"That's just how Lucy is." Natsu grumbled, failing to see the point.

"Since we were the cause of her injuries, I figured I could use Lisanna as an excuse to go on a mission without her." Erza continued like Natsu didn't say anything. "We will give Lucy the full reward for this job. Of course, Wendy and Lisanna can keep their share. It's a big reward, so the amount should last her for a while until she's one-hundred percent better."

"That's a nice thought, Erza-san," Wendy started to say, still unsure about this whole plan. "But why couldn't we tell that to Lucy-san?"

"She's the kind of person to want to earn everything she receives." Erza explained. "If we go on this job with her knowledge, she'd try to stop us or come with us. She's still injured and I don't want her straining herself."

"That's really sweet of you, Erza." Lisanna said, smiling. "I'm not doing this for the money, so you can give Lucy my share, too. We each get 50,000 jewels, right? That's almost another month's rent she doesn't have to worry about."

"Are you sure, Lisanna?" Gray asked. The Take-Over mage nodded. "I'm more than happy to hand over my share, but are you sure we shouldn't have said something to Lucy?"

"Yeah!" Happy shouted. "It's kind of mean to leave our nakama behind."

"We'll only be gone for a few days." Erza tried to reason. "And we're not leaving her behind, she'll always be a part of the team. She just needs rest for now."

"Why don't we buy something nice for Lucy-san with my share of the reward?" Wendy suggested. "She can't be mad if we bring a gift back, right?"

"Such a child's way of thinking," Charle sighed but let it go.

"We're going to be near Crocus, right?" Lisanna said. "There were lots of neat things in Crocus when we were staying for the Grand Magic Games."

"The buildings might still be destroyed." Gray reminded.

"Oh, right." Lisanna said sheepishly.

"Well, regardless," Erza said, looking for a carriage to give them a ride. "This job is for Lucy."

"Fine," Natsu sighed, perking up. "I'll do this for Lucy. But I'm never leaving my partner behind again, got it, Erza?" Erza softly smiled at the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Of course." The Re-quip mage agreed.


	6. Strongest Team – Divided

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Chapter Six: Strongest Team – Divided

* * *

… 2 Days Later…

* * *

"We are behind schedule." Erza mumbled, looking left and right for the so-called monster.

"Great, we're behind schedule _and_ we can't find a monster." Gray said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Erza, her patience running thin, gave the Ice Make wizard a death glare.

"What was that?" The Re-quip mage growled, her aura growing fierce. Gray just scowled and turned his head away.

After the small dispute, the group continued to walk. They have been walking up and down the mountainous area just outside of Crocus since the group arrived to the capital city. There, the group met their client, a man working for the King of Fiore, and were told that the monster had been wreaking havoc in this area. That had been the day before last, and still, the group could not find the monster.

"Do you smell anything, Natsu?" Happy asked cautiously. The Fire Dragon Slayer discreetly sniffed the air, Wendy following his example.

"I don't know what I'm suppose to be smelling for." Natsu said.

"There are a lot of different smells here." Wendy supplied.

"Like what?" Lisanna asked curiously. She had never worked with Dragon Slayers before.

"Boars, birds, rabbits, any animal really," Natsu started to list off, still steadily scenting the air. "Other humans,"

"It doesn't even look like anything was destroyed here." Wendy said, looking around. The mountainside was perfectly in tact. "Perhaps we should try someplace else?"

"I can try searching from the sky." Lisanna suggested. Erza nodded. With that, Lisanna transformed into her Animal Soul: Bird form and took off into the air. Happy and Charle summoned their wings and followed the Take-Over mage into the sky.

"There's a crater over there!" Happy yelled down, pointing towards the west.

"And fire!" Lisanna added, slowly gliding back down.

"Great, a free meal." Natsu said, grinning, punching his fist into his other hand. "I'm all fired up!"

* * *

"I'm so bored." Lucy whined, dropping her head onto her hand, her elbow on the bar counter. Mirajane laughed, eyeing the Celestial Spirit mage.

"Why don't you write that novel of yours?" Mira suggested.

"I've written so much of it already." Lucy sighed. "I ran out of ideas."

"Have you let Levy read it yet?"

"She went on a mission yesterday." Lucy moaned.

"Oh, you're right." The Take-Over wizard said, thinking back to the day before where she wrote that Team Shadow Gear went on a mission in the logbook. Lucy stared at her in silence; her eyes then strayed around the guild, landing on the mission board.

"Maybe I'll take a job." Lucy said absently. Mirajane snapped out of her thoughts.

"Are you sure you're healed enough?" The Take-Over mage asked worriedly. Lucy nodded, hopping off of the bar stool and twisted her body.

"Thanks to Wendy healing me a little more just before they left, I feel completely fine." Lucy informed.

"Maybe you should take it easy, though?"

"My rent is due in a few days and since I'm feeling better, I don't see why I can't take a job." Lucy shrugged. "If it'll make you feel better, I'll take an easy one. Just enough to cover my rent."

"Are you going by yourself?" Mira asked cautiously. "I don't want you going on a job and collapsing alone if your injuries suddenly bother you again."

"There's nothing to worry about, Mira." Lucy reassured with a smile, lightly prodding at the skin on her side and stomach, her blue, heart outfit already exposing the skin. "See? The skin is all healed, and I jogged to the guild today without becoming out of breath."

"All right but I don't want to see you hurt again when you come back."

Lucy nodded gratefully and made her way to the large request board. Monster hunting. Bandit catching. Find a missing magical dogfish. Translate the spell on the page – Lucy hoped that wasn't the one that made people switch bodies. One flyer finally caught her eye. For 100,000 jewels, transport a box of precious stones to Anistar City, a city south of Magnolia. The city was known for collecting rainbow colored, spherical stones that have some sort of magic property. It was said that if the right stone was given to a wizard with the correct magical power and wavelength, their power could increase dramatically. It was similar to a lock only opening for a certain key. In the history of Fiore, only one pair between stone and mage had been found correct.

"Mira, I'll take this one." Lucy said, jogging back to the bar. "Seems easy enough, right? I'll just be sitting on a train for seven hours going there." Mira looked over the flyer, getting out the logbook.

"That's a fourteen hour round trip." Mira said sympathetically. Even without motion sickness, she'd rather not have to make a trip like that. "I trust in your abilities, Lucy, but be careful. This is your first solo mission, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. I have my Spirits to help me." Lucy said confidently. "I'm not alone."

"Good luck." The Take-Over mage said, giving Lucy a big smile. "Come home safely."

"I will." Lucy replied. "I might stay the night there. Fourteen hours is a lot to travel and it's already one in the afternoon."

"While you're there, you should sight see as well." Mira suggested. "I hear that Anistar has this huge sundial."

"Really? I might go check it out." Lucy said. "Bye, Mira! I'll be back soon."

"Bye!" Mira called back, watching the blonde jog out the guild doors.

"Is Lucy going on a mission by herself?"

Mira turned to see Master Makarov struggling to climb onto the bar counter.

"Yeah, I hope she'll be okay." Mira sighed worriedly.

"Are her wounds all healed?" Makarov asked. Mirajane nodded in confirmation.

"I'm still a little worried." She confided.

"Was the job too difficult? You could've came to me if someone was taking a job that you didn't think they were ready for." Makarov said, now slightly anxious for the Celestial mage.

"It's not that the job was too challenging for Lucy, I'm sure she can complete it, but it is her first job going without a partner." The Take-Over mage said softly. Makarov chuckled.

"You always worry too much, Mira-chan." He said with a chortle. "Lucy has trained with Erza, Natsu, and Gray. And she would've won her battle with Flare if the sideline members of Raven Tail didn't cancel her spell. She will be fine." Mira smiled, thankful for such a kind hearted and confident master.

* * *

"Smell anything weird yet?" Gray asked, inspecting the damage on a tree trunk. Natsu squatted to the ground, getting on his hands and knees to steady his body as he put his nose as close to the ground as possible.

"I should do that too." Wendy declared, but instead of the ground, the Sky Dragon Slayer went to a broken tree stump. Leaning in close, Wendy began to scent the wood.

"Don't fall and get splinters on your face." Charle warned. "And you shouldn't follow his example!"

"What is he doing?" Lisanna asked, watching Natsu crawl on the ground slowly. For someone who did not go on missions with the Fire Dragon Slayer, it was an odd sight to see.

"He's trying to find the monster's smell." Happy exclaimed cheerfully. "He says that people's smell don't stay in the air for long so it's easier to find it on the ground."

"I see." Lisanna said, nodding in understanding. Her childhood friend sure has learned some interesting new tricks.

"These marks are definitely from claws of some sort. By the looks of it, they're very large and very sharp." Erza said, looking at the damage to the nearby trees and ground.

"This looks like a bite mark rather than claws." Gray said, turning around after his inspection. The tree in front of the Ice Make mage had a large circular chunk taken out. "It looks like when Natsu takes a bite of fire chicken." Natsu's eye twitched in irritation.

"Well, Natsu, Wendy?" Erza inquired before the Fire Dragon Slayer could retort.

"It smells a lot like metal." Natsu informed, standing up to his full height.

"Kind of like armor." Wendy added, also standing back up.

"But there's no way any human could make this kind of damage. Unless he's fifteen feet tall and as big as Elf-nii-chan." Lisanna said.

"You're right, these marks a way too big for any normal sized, human knight to make." Erza agreed.

"What do you think it was after?" Gray asked. "There has to be a reason for destroying all of this."

"There's animal blood just a little further away." Natsu said. "I can smell it when the wind blows towards us. Maybe it was just looking for a meal."

"That's a possibility." Erza said, nodding. "Lead the way, Natsu."

"Why am I doing all the work?" Natsu said under his breath as he walked towards the smell.

"His nose is amazing." Wendy admired, trying gallantly to smell the scents on the breeze. "I can't pick up on any blood." Natsu looked over at his fellow Dragon Slayer and laid a comforting hand on her head.

"Try eating some air, you'll probably be able to taste it better than smell it." Natsu suggested. "You are a Sky Dragon Slayer, after all." Wendy looked skeptically at her idol but did as he said and started eating the air while the group walked.

"Oh," Wendy said in shock as the slight coppery taste drifted onto her taste buds. "Boar's blood."

"Is it?" Natsu asked, smiling down at her. "I couldn't tell what animal it was since it was kind of far off. Good job, Wendy." The Sky Dragon Slayer beamed at the praise her hero was giving her.

"He sure is great with Wendy." Lisanna whispered to the other team members.

"Wendy has made it clear since we met her that she has admired Natsu for quite some time." Erza whispered back.

"Aye," Happy agreed, flying lower to chat with them. "Wendy is the youngest Dragon Slayer, so she spent the least amount of time with her dragon. Natsu feels like he should encourage and help her as she grows up."

"Pantherlily has said something similar about Gajeel." Charle added. "Something about wanting her to feel like she isn't alone without her dragon."

"You talk to Lily alone?" Happy gasped, tears forming in his eyes. "A lot?" Charle ignored his jealousy.

"He'll be a good father one day." Erza said.

"If he can even get a girl dumb enough to give him a child." Gray scoffed, earning a light slap to the head by the Re-quip mage.

"We'll see if you can too." Erza said, smirking. Gray flushed a deep red color while Lisanna, Happy, and Charle burst out laughing. Natsu and Wendy looked behind them before looking at each other and shrugging in confusion.

* * *

"Let's see." Lucy hummed. She walked aimlessly around the Magnolia train station looking for the man that was suppose to direct her to the rainbow stones. Mirajane had already sent word to the client that the job was accepted, and the client was then suppose to contact the person temporarily guarding the magical items to tell them that a mage would be waiting at the train station. Lucy looked left and right. She spotted a man in an orderly black suit standing with a guard on each side, police flanking his back, and train employees standing nearby. "That's not obvious at all." Lucy mumbled. She walked over to the group and gave a friendly smile. "Hello," She greeted.

The man looked over at her, eyeing her up and down before staring at the pink emblem on her right hand. Lucy was proud to show her Fairy Tail insignia, but the man's gaze was unsettlingly cold.

"You must be the Fairy Tail mage I was told to look out for." The man said in a deep voice.

"Yes, sir. My name is Lucy, it is a pleasure to be working with you." She said politely.

"Yes, you as well." The man answered. "I am Ray Sinjin. Before I let you take this cargo, there are a few things you must know about what you are protecting." Lucy cocked her head slightly, giving her full attention to the man in front of her. "It is a powerful object, as you may know." Lucy nodded. "You must not use magic directly on these objects."

"Directly on?" Lucy asked.

"Do not touch them with any magic nor try to see if your magic is compatible from far away by flowing your magic into it." Ray said in a warning.

"I might have to fight nearby, is that alright?" The Celestial mage asked next.

"That is perfectly fine as long as you do not purposefully touch them with magic and try to use its power."

"If it's all right, may I ask why?" Lucy said curiously.

"If you're not strong enough to overcome the power these stones have, it will possess you." He said in a no nonsense voice. "Your power will be amplified beyond your imagination and you won't be able to control it. Eventually, the power will make you blindly destroy anyone or anything in front of you."

"And then what happens?" Lucy said shakily. "Can it be stopped?"

"The one being possessed will only be stopped when they are struck down." The Celestial Spirit mage nodded stiffly.

"I will not let anyone come in contact with these stones." Lucy promised. "Nor will I touch them." Ray Sinjin nodded in approval.

"Good." He said, rolling the crate closer. "There are only three in here, but criminals are sure to want them. Protect them at all costs."

"You have my word." Lucy said. Ray walked over to a stopped cargo train, opening the door to the second to last compartment. His security guards wheeled the crate into the compartment and placed it securely in a corner. The stones weren't large or heavy, but required as much padding for protection as possible.

"Have a safe journey." Mr. Sinjin said, nodding his farewell.

"Have a good day, Mr. Sinjin." Lucy replied back, stepping into the train compartment. The door was closed and secured. Lucy sealed the door from the inside lock as well and went to put her backpack down by the opposite wall of the crate. "This is going to be a long ride."

The train blew its horn, signaling the departure of the cargo train. Lucy sighed, feeling the jerking motions of the vehicle as it started to move. Absently, she thought about a certain Fire Dragon Slayer and how he would already be down for the count. Lucy giggled lightly, sliding against the metal frame to sit on the ground. What a lonely seven hours this would be. Lucy wondered if Plue wanted to keep her company for a little bit.

* * *

"This is a mile away!" Gray complained to the Fire Dragon Slayer. "There's no way the monster would destroy a certain spot on the mountainside just to kill the thing a mile away and eat it."

"That is a good point." Erza said, kneeling down next to a footprint on the ground. "But these looks like the same claws that destroyed the trees."

"You don't think it's Gajeel, do you?" Natsu asked, picking at his earwax with a bored expression. "Maybe he ate some weird metal that turned him into an unusual beast."

"It's the same metallic scent as before." Wendy said. "But definitely not Gajeel-san's iron-like smell."

"It doesn't make sense." Lisanna said, deep in thought. "Animals would kill their prey first when attacking, but then they might hide the food so others don't eat it. I don't understand why the monster would chase after the prey like it was the last morsel of food on Earth Land and then kill it a mile away."

"Man," Natsu complained loudly, putting his hands behind his head and looking up towards the afternoon sky. "I wish Lucy was here. She's always the one to think of creative shit and figure this out for us. She'd probably say something crazy like there are two or more of the same monster with similar scents, which is why I only smell one. Or that over by that battleground the lot of them were fighting for the prey and when one of them won, it stalked the animal to here. She'd definitely say some crap like that." Natsu finished with a sigh.

The group remained silent for a good, solid minute.

"Lucy is a genius!" Gay exclaimed loudly, looking around nervously. Erza quickly summoned a sword to her hand and wearily looked around. The group, minus Natsu, hastily stood back-to-back, being cautious of all directions.

"What are you guys doing?" Natsu asked in confusion, lowering his arms to cross at his chest.

"If there are more than one, we need to be extra careful." Erza said in a low voice.

"Who said there are more than one?" Natsu said, obliviously. The group sighed in disappointment. "You're not actually saying that what I thought Lucy would say is true, are you?"

"It fits the scenario." Lisanna explained. The Fire Dragon Slayer scoffed.

"Well if it didn't attack us when we were yelling, I doubt it'll attack us now." Natsu snorted.

"You're probably right," Erza acknowledged. "Can you trail the metallic scent?" Natsu and Wendy got back to work, slowly sniffing the air.

"Great, now we have more things to subdue." Gray sighed following the Dragon Slayers who led them to another part of the mountain.

"Fairy Tail will never leave a job half done." Happy said, landing on Gray's head to take a rest.

"This will take longer than we first anticipated." Charle sighed.

"I hope we can still make it back before Lucy's rent is due." Lisanna said, counting the days left until the beginning of the next month.

* * *

Lucy absently hummed a tune as she laid all her keys on her legs. She took a cloth and polished each key until it shined. So far, nothing had happened during the train ride and Lucy hoped it stayed that way. Continuing to hum the tune, she looked at her keys with adoration, picking them up in her hands.

"It's lonely here, maybe I should call someone out to chat with me." Lucy mumbled to herself, lightly stroking the keys. "There is no way Loke would be willing to sit with me for the next five hours alone without saying something flirty. Same thing with Taurus, I suppose." Lucy sighed. "Aquarius. There's no water and I _know_ she'd just flood the train. Plus, she'd be mad that I interrupted her date or something with Scorpio, so I'm not about to call him out either." She thumped the back of her head to the sidewall. "Virgo isn't much of a talker unless it's about punishment, and I'd never purposefully hurt her. Cancer will probably just want to give me a haircut." Lucy sighed once more. Why did her spirits have such quirky natures? "Knowing Capricorn, he'd want to read some more poems to me, and Gemini will just transform into me only wrapped in a towel." Lucy sighed in dissatisfaction. "Sagittarius and Aries. Who'd be willing to talk with me for a while?

"I can't even call Lyra out today. Grandpa Crux would most likely enjoy a nap more than sitting in a stuffy train, and I doubt Horologium could even fit in this compartment considering the height. Plue and Pyxis might be good choices, they won't talk back if I say something weird, that's for sure." Lucy giggled. "But Plue deserves a little break, he was out for hours the other day. Not like he was doing anything but play, though.

"All right." Lucy said in determination, standing up. The Celestial mage held out a gold key. "Open, Gate of the Ram, Aries!"

"I'm sorry!" Aries said, popping out of a magic circle and a puff of wool. "What can I assist you with today?"

"Well, today's job is to safely transport this crate to Anistar City." Lucy replied. "It would be nice to have an extra set of eyes and ears." Aries nodded. "But the reason I called you here was so we can chat."

"Chat? I'm sorry." Aries asked. Lucy sat back down on the ground and patted the ground next to her. The Ram Spirit blinked in confusion but sat down as requested.

"It's a little lonely here all by myself and I was hoping to talk to a friend for a little while." Lucy said. "I hope you don't mind?"

"I don't mind, I'm sorry." Aries said, smiling softly. "What would you like to talk about?"

"Anything really. How's the Celestial World? Is everything back to normal?"

"Yes, everything is back to normal. Though we still can't remember anything, I'm sorry!" Aries answered. "Grandfather Crux and Horologium were telling the King about it."

"Oh?" Lucy asked curiously.

"I'm sorry we did such horrible things to you, Lucy." Aries bowed her head slightly. "And thank you." Lucy giggled softly, making the Ram Spirit look up at her.

"You don't have to apologize, or even thank me." The Celestial mage said with a wide smile. She then put an arm around Aries, hugging her close. Aries flinched slightly before relaxing. "I want to help you guys in any way I can. You mean the world to me."

"Thank you." Aries whispered, leaning on her key owner faintly.

"Why'd you flinch just now?" Lucy asked, pushing Aries away to look at her face. The Ram Spirit looked away in sadness. "You didn't think I was going to hit you, did you?"

"I'm sorry, it's a habit." Aries said in a small voice. Lucy sighed, pulling the girl back into a side hug.

"Let's get one thing straight. I will never, ever hurt you or any other Spirit I have a contract with." Lucy whispered. "You don't need to be afraid anymore." Aries nodded. "I'll protect you just like you protect me."

"I understand. Thank you." Aries cuddled a little closer, sharing the wooly fluff around her so it acted like a pillow against the hard metal compartment.

"You've had a lot of bad luck with Celestial mages, huh?" Lucy inquired, then giggled. "I remember when I first met Loke."

"What do you mean? I'm sorry."

"When I first joined Fairy Tail, Loke was at the guild. He was pretending to be a human mage, of course." Aries nodded, knowing her savior had been banished from their home. "He started to flirt with me before looking at my keys. I have never seen someone run away so fast before." The Ram Spirit giggled at the mental image of Leo, the leader of the Zodiac Spirits, running away from an innocent blonde girl.

* * *

"Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu yelled, blowing fire towards a metal monster. The monster looked like a metal reptile with no eyes and sharp claws on its four feet.

"Is it me, or do they look like those Pandemonium monsters you fought, Erza?" Gray asked, putting his hands together and punching the ground. A series of jagged ice blocks appeared, heading straight for the monster.

"Hm," Erza hummed in thought, re-quipping to her Heaven's Wheel Armor. Swords appeared and created a circle. "Circle Sword!" In a rotational motion, the swords were sent to the monster, effectively cutting it into pieces. The monster roared before disappearing into dust.

"That was too easy." Natsu complained.

"That was the D Class monster in Pandemonium during the Grand Magic Games." Erza informed.

"Weren't those made out of magic?" Lisanna asked.

"Correct, they were." Erza replied.

"Then why is one of them all the way out here?" Gray asked next.

"Whoever the magic caster is must be the one we need to stop." Erza said next, looking around. "They might be testing out monsters and letting them loose here."

"Are there going to be stronger ones?" Wendy asked worriedly.

"Perhaps." Erza said. "You guys didn't smell anything more than these metal monsters, did you?"

"Nothing monster worthy." Natsu said.

"Didn't you say you smelled other humans before?" Lisanna questioned. "Maybe one of those scents belongs to the mage making these things."

"It's worth a shot." Erza said, re-quipping back into her normal armor.

"Ugh, we have to go back?" Natsu complained loudly. "Those scents will probably be gone by now."

"I can't believe how complicated this got." Charle sighed, landing in Wendy's arms.

"Maybe going back to tell the client about our discovery would be more beneficial?" Lisanna suggested. "They probably have contact with the mage doing this."

"And we technically did defeat a monster." Gray said, shrugging.

"That's even more back-tracking." Natsu grumbled. He was hoping for a good fight.

"We'll split up." Erza declared. "Natsu, Happy, Gray, Wendy, and Charle. You will go back to where those human scents were."

"What? Why do I have to go with the hot head?" Gray complained.

"Lisanna, you and I will head back into Crocus to inform our client." Erza said, ignoring the Ice Make mage. "We'll meet up in the Palace gardens in four hours if we can't find each other."

"I guess that's one good thing about a big group." Lisanna said to herself. "Splitting up to get things done more efficiently."

"Let's go, Lisanna." Erza said, walking back towards the city. "Good luck, you guys."

"Bye." Natsu and Gray bellyached.

"We'll see you later!" Wendy said, not wanting to disappoint the self-appointed leader.

"Let's get going," Happy sighed, slowly flying. Going back and forth was really tiring.

"I thought monster hunts were suppose to be fun? This is so boring!" Natsu growled, fire spitting out of his mouth.

"Calm down." Gray complained. "It's easy money, at least."

"Lucy will be able to live comfortably for a few months." Charle agreed. Natsu sighed again. He just wanted to fight something.

* * *

"It's decided then?" The charming and steady voice asked.

"Let's get to work."

* * *

"Ugh, finally." Lucy groaned as she stared out the window of the train compartment. There was only an hour left until she arrived to Anistar City. Aries had left an hour ago to let Lucy recover her magic just in case something really did happen. "Good thing I packed a little food. I'm starving." Lucy said to the empty compartment. She opened her backpack and dug in, finding a sweet bread pastry. The Celestial mage hummed in delight, taking a bite of the sweet bread.

The time was seven-thirty in the evening. Lucy wished she brought a full meal with her, but once she got out of this hellishly long train ride and met up with the client, she was going straight to a restaurant. Suddenly, Lucy heard footsteps crossing the small bridge between train carts. Stuffing her food back into her backpack, Lucy got up and stood next to the crate of magical stones. A long-distance fighter like Sagittarius wouldn't do well in such a confined place, especially since her targets were just in front of the bridge door. The knob jiggled. A combat spirit should work well in this situation. The Celestial mage held onto Capricorn's key.

"Fwoop!" A voice from outside cried out softly, but could still be heard through the non-soundproof door. Lucy raised an eyebrow as she saw a butt appear at the window, turning left and right, almost as if it were checking the premises. She blanched at the sight, stepping further into the shadows.

"Lackey B, is there anyone inside?" A different voice asked.

"No one, boss!" Lackey B informed.

"Open, Gate of the Sea-Goat, Capricorn." Lucy whispered. The glow of her magic appeared besides her, summoning out the Goat Spirit.

"Lucy-sama, it's good to see you." Capricorn said politely, bowing with a hand to his chest.

"You, too." Lucy replied. "We have company."

"Of course, Lucy-sama." Capricorn said, quickly getting into a fighting stance. The door suddenly burst open, revealing three men.

"We are true scoundrels! Getting onto the train undetected." A middle-aged man with black hair said, laughing in glee.

"Oh, not you again." Lucy sighed, putting a hand to her face. The three scoundrels shrieked girlishly, turning their attention to the girl.

"You! You're friends with our goddess!" A skinny man with a bowl hair cut exclaimed.

"Never mind that." A fat man said, pointing behind Lucy. "Look behind her!"

"As true scoundrels, we, the Butt Jiggle Gang, will kindly take that crate." The Boss said.

"How about you don't and I'll pretend this never happened." Lucy suggested friendly. Capricorn beside her still kept his fighting stance. "The authorities will never know and you won't have to go to jail for breaking into a cargo train." The three scoundrels looked at each other before nodding. They turned their butts towards the Celestial mage and her Celestial Spirit.

"How about this?" The Boss said. The three butts started shaking rapidly back and forth, slowly inching closer to their comrades until they were butt cheek to butt cheek. "Fully charged! Let's go! Butt Jiggle Secret Art!"

"Gas Butt!" Lackey A with a bowl cut chanted.

"Triple!" The larger Lackey B chanted next.

"Ecstasy!" The Boss finished. The three butts in front of Lucy started to glow yellow, making a triangle.

* * *

"Where did Erza say to meet up?" Happy asked. Natsu had his arms crossed and a pout on his face. After going back to the first section of mountain they were at, and spending hours trying to find the scent again, the mountain group ran out of time and were heading back into Crocus.

"The palace gardens." Wendy supplied, walking at a steady pace. "It's not much farther."

"Not only did we do nothing but search all day, but I'm starving!" Natsu complained loudly.

"After we meet up with Erza, you can eat as much as you want." Charle said in a stern voice.

"They better have some damn good fire for making me go through this." Natsu said.

"Don't be so whiny." Gray nagged. "You're hurting my ears."

"There you are!"

The group looked ahead and saw Lisanna waving her hand high in the air. The divided group quickly got back together.

"Good, you're safe." Erza said in relief. "Our mission has changed."

"To what?" Gray, Natsu, and Wendy asked in confusion.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Does anyone know where the original idea of Anistar City and those magical rainbow stones came from?**

Disclaimer: I do not own Anistar City or the Magical Stones.


	7. Mission Completed

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Anistar City, or Mega Stones.

* * *

Chapter Seven: Mission Completed

* * *

"Our mission has changed." Erza said.

"To what?" Gray, Natsu, and Wendy asked in confusion.

"Are we going to hunt down all the monsters and have a brawl?" Natsu asked in excitement, punching the air in front of him.

"Tell me we can just go home." Gray sighed.

"Do we have to seek that mage out?" Wendy said politely.

"If I beat all the same monsters that Erza did, that would prove I'm as strong as her." Natsu gasped in realization. "Or better yet, Erza, fight me!" The Fire Dragon Slayer launched his body at the Re-quip mage, his fist lighting on fire. Erza sidestepped, letting Natsu fall face first into the ground.

"He lost already." Charle sighed.

"Aye! Erza didn't even put a finger on him." Happy said with a wide smile, going over to his fallen partner. Lisanna kneeled down a little away from Natsu and started to poke him with a stick she found in the palace gardens.

"Is he okay?" Lisanna asked, still jabbing the Dragon Slayer.

"Our mission is to accompany the king's army and our client to this mage's home." Erza said, ignoring the commotion.

"Why do we have to go? The king has a whole army in the palm of his hands." Gray said.

"And they have those freaky executioners!" Natsu yelled, suddenly bolting up, scaring Lisanna and Happy white. "Those Starving Puppy Soldiers!"

"Hungry Wolf Knights, Natsu-san." Wendy corrected.

"He didn't get a single word right." Charle sighed in disappointment.

"Besides, don't they have that magic army, too?" Gray commented.

"Yes, but they don't do this kind of job." Erza said. "Our reward has increased, if that entices you any."

"To how much?" Gray asked, raising an eyebrow.

"350,000 Jewel." Erza said calmly.

"That's one-hundred thousand more." Wendy gasped. "And all we have to do is accompany the army?"

"Are we at least going to fight the guy?" Natsu pouted.

"Only if he puts up a struggle." Erza answered, walking forward. "Let's get some dinner."

* * *

"Gas Butt!" Lackey A with a bowl cut chanted.

"Triple!" The larger Lackey B chanted next.

"Ecstasy!" The boss finished. The three butts in front of Lucy started to glow yellow, making a triangle.

Lucy remembered what had happened last time and shuddered at the thought. She had to burn her outfit that day or else it would stink up her whole apartment. Before their 'magic' could commence, Lucy got into motion. She ran forward, opening the latch to the side door of the compartment.

"Capricorn!" The Celestial mage called. The Sea-Goat Spirit ran forward, grabbing two men and shoving them out the open door.

"Lackey A! Lackey B!" The boss yelled as he saw them roll on the ground away from the fast moving train. They couldn't complete Triple Ecstasy without three butts! "Why you!" The boss seethed. Capricorn picked him up easily by the back of his stretchy, full body outfit and tossed him out with his friends. Lucy sighed in relief, closing the door before she fell out as well.

"Thanks a lot, Capricorn." Lucy said in appreciation.

"My pleasure, Lucy-sama." Capricorn answered with a slight bow. "Is there anything else you would like me to do for you?" Lucy thought about it for a moment.

"There's only forty-five minutes left, do you want to stay and chat?"

"That sounds pleasant, Lucy-sama." Capricorn said, pulling out a little book from his suit jacket. "Would you like to listen to a poem?" The blonde sighed but sat down and nodded.

"All right," Lucy said, humoring her spirit. The last poem he read wasn't the greatest, but if it made her friend happy, she didn't see the harm in listening.

* * *

"I'm stuffed." Natsu sighed in happiness as he plopped down onto his hotel bed for the night. His bloated stomach shook a little.

"I would be surprised if you weren't." Gray commented absently.

"Aye!" Happy said, dropping next to Natsu, also with a bulging belly. Gray sighed. Did he really have to share a room with these gluttons?

"I'm using the bathroom first." The Ice Make mage announced. The response from the Dragon Slayer and Exceed were snores. "Eat, fight, and sleep. I swear, that's all you do."

* * *

"We'll be back in time for Lucy-san to pay for her rent, right?" Wendy asked.

"Hopefully that mage won't be too troublesome tomorrow." Lisanna said. "It takes about a full day to get back to Magnolia."

"If nothing happens tomorrow morning, we can get Lucy a little gift and take the earliest train or carriage back home." Erza said next.

"A train would definitely be faster." Charle commented. "But what should we get her?"

"She likes to write, doesn't she?" Lisanna asked.

"Yes, she is writing a novel now and I believe she keeps a journal." Erza informed.

"We should get her a pretty journal." Wendy said excitedly. The group smiled at the young Dragon Slayer.

"That would be perfect." Erza praised.

"And she would still have a little under 350,000 Jewels after we buy it." Lisanna said with a smile then laughed. "She can't complain about money for a long time with that."

"I would be worried if she does." Charle sighed. "Honestly, where does all her money go?"

* * *

"Woo! The full reward!" Lucy cried happily, jumping around with her hands in the air. The 100,000 Jewels were safely tucked away, deep in her backpack. "Now time to find a nice hotel and then dinner."

After a little searching, in the center of town, there was a fair priced hotel. Lucy quickly reserved a single room and launched herself out of the hotel. She was starving! She had lunch eight hours ago and only a bite of sweet bread before trouble came and interrupted her snack. To Lucy, eating alone at a restaurant felt lonely. Would it be selfish to summon a spirit to eat with her? She'd offer to buy them a meal, of course.

Once Lucy got back to her hotel room, the mage initiated her nightly ritual: a hot bath. The day had been long, and, thanks to her spirits, not as boring or lonesome as she thought it would have been. The blonde mage fell forward onto the bed, curling under the covers. Listening to Capricorn's poems for the forty-five minutes of the trip sure was exhausting. Who knew he had written so many?

* * *

…Next Morning…

* * *

"Let's see," Lucy whispered to herself as she looked at a small map of Anistar City in her hands. The hotel staff was nice enough to give her a pamphlet and circle good places for breakfast and hot tourist spots. "There should be a yummy crêpe café around here." After another three minute walk, the Celestial mage smelled the enticing breakfast dessert. Quickly, she went inside and ordered a strawberry crêpe and a chocolate crêpe. "Erza would love this place." Lucy said in amazement. "I'll bring her here next time we have some free time."

* * *

"Man," Gray sighed as he and Natsu sulked in the back of the group. "I'd never thought I'd agree with you."

"I just wanted to fight something." Natsu sighed.

The group was currently walking back to Crocus after confronting the mage making the metal monsters. It turned out, the mage, Giotto, was testing out his monster creations in the mountains near his home. After the Titania had so easily beaten all one hundred of his monster, he was aiming to improve them. Giotto had let a few beasts lose in the wild to see their destructive power. Now, after getting a visit from the King's army and a group of Fairy Tail mages – unfortunately including the Titania – he quickly dispelled his magic and promised to keep an eye on the monsters.

"You should just be glad the job went well." Lisanna soothed. "Once we get back to Crocus and collect our reward, you can fight all you want back at the guild."

The group let Erza handle receiving the reward once they talked with their client again. Finally their mission was complete. All that was left to do was get a cute journal for Lucy and then they could head home. The Strongest Team – minus Lucy and plus Lisanna – walked around Crocus. The fight with the Dragons had destroyed buildings on the other side of the city, so the residents here were going on with life like nothing had happened. Of course, most of the citizens had thought that the dragons were illusions made for entertainment for the finale of the Grand Magic Games.

"I'm hungry, can we get some food?" Natsu asked, turning to face the self-appointed leader of the group.

"Lunch is a great idea, Natsu." Erza said, turning her attention to finding a restaurant rather than a bookstore. "It is almost one in the afternoon."

"How about eating there?" Gray asked, pointing ahead of them. In front of the group stood a casual looking restaurant – nothing out of the ordinary.

"A buffet!" Natsu yelled in eagerness. "Gray! I challenge you to an eating contest!"

"You're on, Fire Princess!" The Ice Make mage yelled back. The two males ran to the entrance.

"I hope this doesn't end badly." Lisanna said.

"Natsu! You're so mean! Wait for me!" Happy cried, flying at max speed.

"I hope they have cake." Erza said calmly, walking as if she didn't know the restaurant was going to get destroyed.

"We should hurry before they eat everything." Wendy suggested.

* * *

…Two Hours Later…

* * *

"All of my food!" The owner yelled in surprise. The owner, a middle aged man with dark brown hair, stood in shock at the sight of Fairy Tail's table. At first, he thought it was an honor to be serving the best guild in Fiore. That was, until they cleaned him out of every morsel of food that was in his restaurant. Fairy Tail's table couldn't even be seen through the clutter of dirty plates and two large males sitting in the booth.

"I ate more than you, ash for brains!" Gray yelled, trying in vain to lift up his arm.

"No way, you Icy Stripper! I ate five times more than you did!" Natsu screamed next, rolling his body from side to side.

The Fire Dragon Slayer and the Ice Make mage had turned obese, to say the least. They looked like a slightly larger version of Droy when Team Tenrou came back after their seven year absence. Their clothes were stretched to their limit, buttons occasionally popping off their shirt and falling into the pile of dirty dishes.

Wendy and Lisanna had their heads down on the table. Having tried to eat as much the boys, or even Erza, the girls were out for the count long before Gray and Natsu even ate half of the restaurant's food. Now, the Sky Dragon Slayer and Take-Over mage were suffering from over eating. Erza, on the other hand, continued to eat, placing one forkful of a dessert into her mouth after another. The Re-quip mage's body did not expand at all after eating the buffet out of every dessert they had. Must be the armor.

"I don't think Fairy Tail will be invited here for a long, long time." Charle sighed, crossing her arms.

"Aye!" Happy said. The white Exceed turned to look at her companion and screamed in shock.

"You too!?" Charle cried, her fur standing on end. Happy was as round as a beach ball, rolling around on the tabletop.

"Aye!" The blue Exceed said with no remorse.

"Sir?" A waitress cautiously called out to her boss. The boss sighed and hit his head on the cash register repeatedly.

"I can't even charge them more because it's a set price for the buffet." The boss bemoaned.

"No way, Gray! I ate more than you!" Natsu yelled, fire shooting out of his mouth with each word.

"Look at all these plates! I clearly ate more than you!" Gray retorted.

"Oh yeah? You wanna go?" Natsu challenged, trying to roll out of the booth. His hands lit on fire but his body didn't move. "Damn it! I'm stuck!" Gray laughed hysterically while pointing his finger at the Fire Dragon Slayer. The Ice Make mage tried to get out as well.

"H-hey! Why can't I get out either?" Gray bawled in distress, wiggling every way he could.

Erza continued to eat the last of the desserts on her plate with a cheery grin.

* * *

"Wow! Here's the museum for those stones I guarded." Lucy said in awe. The Anistar Museum was completely constructed of stone, making the building look regal. The museum was specifically for showcasing and collecting the rainbow stones that were said to be able to amplify power if used carefully enough. Security was tight, almost as tight as the royal capital.

It was to be expected, Lucy absently thought as she walked up the steps to go inside. If these stones were to be used by evildoers, catastrophe would surely come to pass. Heck, these pretty stones could corrupt even those who didn't intend for anything bad to happen.

"Ah, Ms. Heartfilia!"

Lucy looked over at the sound of her name. There stood her client from the mission, a short man with greying hair and mustache. Next to him stood his wife, whom Lucy had met when she collected her reward. The wife was tall, about two times the size of her husband. Her hair was long and greying like her husband's.

"Mister and Missus Falk. Good to see you again." Lucy greeted politely. Mr. Falk laughed heartily, waving his hand.

"Please call us Timund and Visna." Mr. Falk, Timund, said kindly. "We much appreciated your help in transporting the precious stones. Magnolia is a long way from here."

"Like I said yesterday, it was my pleasure." Lucy said kindly.

"Are you here to see the rest of the Mega Stones, Lucy?" Visna asked kindly.

"Yes, Visna." Lucy said. "I've never seen them before yesterday when you opened the box. I didn't dare peak inside while transporting them." The couple laughed.

"Good to know you expressed caution." Timund said. "Come, you don't have to pay the admission fee."

"Are you sure, sir?" Lucy asked. "I have plenty of money after you gave me my promised payment."

"Nonsense, child." Timund said good-naturedly. "This is our show of gratitude. Next time our shipment ends up in Magnolia, I'll be sure to request Fairy Tail for help again."

"That's very kind of you. Thank you." Lucy replied.

"You're such a polite young girl." Visna giggled. "Come, we'll show you around."

"The first floor is where all of the rainbow colored stones are displayed." Mr. Falk said as he guided the blonde towards the rooms to the side. "These are similar to the stones you were transporting to us."

"There are other kinds?" Lucy asked curiously. The Celestial mage looked in amazement at all the spheres shining under the artificial lighting.

"Yes, on the second floor are the stones that have specific colorings." Mrs. Falk informed.

"The sphere itself would have a base color, and two other colors appear in the center." Timund added.

"What do you think they mean?" Lucy wondered.

"We're still researching, unfortunately." Timund said. A little later, the group made their way upstairs.

"Each section is dedicated to stones that have the same coloring." Visna informed.

"There are a lot more rainbow stones than the ones with specific colors." Lucy said absently. "But all of them are still absolutely gorgeous."

"Beautiful but dangerous. Like a rose, wouldn't you say?" Timund said in good humor.

"Quite dangerous." Lucy agreed, following the couple into another room.

* * *

"Was it okay to leave them sleeping on a bench like that?" Lisanna asked worriedly, looking over her shoulder where they had left Natsu and Gray.

"They hardly fit through doors as they are now." Erza said, continuing to walk forward. "And knowing Natsu, he'd destroy a building just to get inside."

"That's true." Lisanna said, drawing out her sentence.

"Besides, we won't be gone for long. We're only going out to buy Lucy-san a journal and possibly a book or two, then we can go back to get them." Wendy reassured.

"Aye." Happy said in a strained voice. He was using his Aera magic but could hardly lift himself more than a foot off of the ground.

"You should've stayed with them." Charle said dryly.

When the group made it to the closest bookstore, the girls debated which journal to buy their Celestial mage for the next half an hour. Happy had fallen asleep on the ground next to the bickering women. In the end, the group decided to buy Lucy two leather bound journals. One was tan with a floral design on it while the other was a dark brown with a key on the cover. The girls also got Lucy three other books. Lisanna had chosen one that Levy had suggested to read. Wendy chose a book from Lucy's favorite author, Kemu Zaleon. Even though Lucy had already read all of Kemu Zaleon's books, it was nice to have a copy for repeated readings. Erza had chosen a reference book about Celestial Spirits saying that it would be helpful to know about other keys.

With Lucy's gift ready to go, the group walked back to the bench where Natsu and Gray slept. Wendy struggled to carry the bloated Happy along the way.

"Natsu! Gray!" Erza said loudly. "Wake up!" The two bolted up and saluted to the red head.

"Yes ma'am!" Natsu and Gray said together. After their nap, it looked like their body size was back to normal, including the muscle definition. The bench behind the two of them said a different story, having cracked in the middle at the weight of two overstuffed mages.

"Let's hurry and get our things from the hotel." Erza said, walking away. "Then we can take the quickest train or carriage back to Magnolia."

"Train or carriage?" Natsu asked, his face turning green.

* * *

"Wow," Lucy said in awe. The sundial was slightly elevated off of the ground with magic. It was easily twenty feet in diameter. The face of the clock was made with a beautiful white stone with gold lining creating a circle inside. The sundial's clock hand was made of a pink gem that glittered in the sunlight. According to the sundial, the Celestial mage had been standing completely in awe for the last twenty minutes. Lucy watched the shadow of the clock hand move ever so slowly as the sun moved in the sky. She wished Reedus were here to paint this amazing scenery or that she owned a lacrima camera.

It was already around four in the afternoon. If Lucy left now she would be back in Magnolia by eleven that evening. The blonde sighed, not wanting to go through the insufferable train ride again. Looking around, Lucy started to walk to the nearest convenience store.

"Getting myself a cold dinner is probably a good idea." Lucy mumbled. The part of town she was currently in was a lot less busy than the other parts of town she had been in.

"Lucy."

Lucy quickly turned around at the sound of her name being called, her hand instinctively going for her Celestial keys. She stared in shock at the person in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" The Celestial mage asked.

"It's time."

"Time? For wha-?" Lucy started to ask but stopped as a light enveloped her. The light disappeared, leaving behind shimmering dust in place of the blonde haired woman.

* * *

"Yes! We're home!" Natsu yelled excitedly as he jumped off the train as fast as he could.

"It's pretty late." Lisanna said, yawning. "I'm going home."

"Good night, Lisanna." The group said together.

"I'll tell Mira-nee that we completed our mission." Lisanna informed, waving at the group. "Thanks for letting me tag along!"

"Of course! Feel free to join us anytime." Erza said, also walking towards the exit. "I'll take Lucy's gifts and the reward home with me for tonight. It's almost midnight and I'm sure she'd be asleep already."

"Probably." Gray answered, stretching his stiff muscles after such a long train ride. "Good night."

"Good night." Erza said. "Come, Wendy, Charle. I don't want you walking alone."

"Okay." Wendy said, hugging the sleeping Charle to her body. "Good night."

"Good night." Natsu said, heading to his home in the forest. Once him and Happy were a fair distance away from the group, Natsu looked up at the stars. "Should we pay Lucy a visit, Happy?"

"Aye." Happy mumbled sleepily on the Fire Dragon Slayer's shoulder. Natsu grinned and fast walked to the Celestial Spirit mage's home. Walking along side the canal on Strawberry Street, Natsu's smile widened as he saw the blonde's window come into view. He jumped onto the ledge of the window and pried it open.

"She's not here." Natsu whispered, lifting up the covers of the bed.

"She isn't?" Happy said groggily, absently jumping off of Natsu's shoulder and cuddling into the bed. The Fire Dragon Slayer sniffed around the apartment. Maybe she was eating a late night snack?

"I guess she's really not home." Natsu whispered, disheartened when he couldn't sniff out his other partner. Happy was already snoozing away on Lucy's bed. "I'll wait here, too." With that, Natsu put his backpack on the ground and crawled in next to the sleeping Exceed, pulling the blankets over them.

* * *

…Next Morning…

* * *

"She's what?!" Natsu yelled.

Erza, unfazed by the loud voice, calmly answered, "She went on a mission."

"Alone?" Happy asked.

"Seems like it." Gray answered.

"But she was suppose to be here resting!" The Fire Dragon Slayer argued.

"She said she was healed and bored." Mirajane answered from the guild's bar. "If it makes you feel better, Natsu, it was a short mission. She should be back soon." Natsu pouted.

"I'm sure Lucy-san is fine. I healed her superficial wounds just before we left." Wendy said, also having gotten to the guild before Natsu and Happy.

"In the mean time," Erza said, hefting a bag onto her shoulder. "Let's go visit her landlady."

"There's only three more days until August." Gray confirmed, walking towards the guild entrance with Erza. Wendy hopped off the bench she was sitting on and went with the group, Charle flying after the Sky Dragon Slayer. Natsu, though still pouting, followed them back to the apartment he woke up in this morning with Happy.

Once the group got to the apartment complex, Erza knocked on the front door. A short woman with a ferret around her neck and wearing Lucy's old outfit opened the door. Although the woman was shorter than the red haired Re-quip mage, the woman was not intimidated.

"What do you want?" Lucy's landlady asked.

"Lucy hasn't paid her rent yet, correct?" Erza said, also not easily intimidated. Beside her, Gray looked uneasy whereas Natsu was still pouting. Wendy tried to comfort the elder Dragon Slayer by patting his arm. Happy and Charle decided to fly up to the closed window to peer inside.

"No, she said she might be a day late." The landlady said, giving the group a stern stare. "You are those friends of hers that always break in."

"Yes," Erza answered bluntly. No use in lying about the bad habits of Natsu and Gray. "We came to give you her rent." The landlady raised an eyebrow.

"Where is Lucy?" The landlady asked curiously.

"She is currently on a job." Erza said.

"Does she know you're paying her rent?"

"It is a gift from us." Erza answered smoothly, opening the bag she was carrying. "70,000 Jewel, correct? Here you go." The red head handed over a stack of money. The landlady still had her eyebrow raised in confusion but accepted the money without complaint. Money was money, after all.

"And now I suppose you will be breaking into the apartment, correct?" The landlady said knowingly.

"Probably." Gray answered. The landlady sighed, closing her door without so much as a thank you. "Rude."

"Let's bring this up to Lucy's place." Erza said, motioning towards the bag she was still carrying.

"Is it okay to invade Lucy-san's home like this?" Wendy asked worriedly.

"It's alright, we do it all the time." Gray said nonchalantly. That didn't ease Wendy's worry.

Erza opened the door to Lucy's place. Not locked. Happy and Charle were already inside, having gotten in through the window.

"Look! Look! I found more of Lucy's sexy underwear!" Happy said happily, looking inside of an open drawer.

"You shouldn't invade a woman's privacy like that!" Charle scolded, trying to close the drawer but peaked inside. "Humans wear such garments?" Natsu and Gray looked over the Exceeds' heads.

"Charle!" Wendy reprimanded. "Don't say that and then look! Natsu-san and Gray-san, I don't think Lucy-san would want you to look at those."

Erza, ignoring the group, placed the two journals on top of each other on the desk and the reading books next to the journals in their own pile. The Re-quip mage turned back to the group, specifically Natsu.

"Natsu, where does Lucy keep her money?" Erza asked, indicating to the other 275,000 Jewel the group had earned. 5,000 Jewels were spent on the books and stationary.

"Try the middle drawer under Lucy's picture frames and that box she keeps all the letters to her mother." Natsu answered absently, still staring at the underwear. "Do you think she wears this when she eats?"

"Natsu-san!" Wendy yelled in embarrassment for the Celestial mage. "Close that drawer!" The Sky Dragon Slayer's face turned red.

"But don't you want to see, Wendy?" Happy asked innocently.

Still ignoring the group, Erza opened up the small drawer Natsu indicated to. Inside was already a stack of money of about 50,000 Jewel. Lucy had probably intended to use it for this month's rent. Erza carefully laid out all 275,000 Jewels inside the drawer before closing it and staring. Was it safe to keep 325,000 Jewels in one place? Erza shrugged, walking away from the drawer. Natsu was sure to come over, and once Lucy came back she could find a better place for it.

"What are you staring at?" Erza asked when she turned and saw everyone crowding around a drawer. Wendy, having given into temptation, looked up with a bright red face.

"Erza-san, when does a woman… wear such undergarments?" Wendy asked shakily. There was still a lot to learn for the thirteen year old. Erza looked at the clothing and blushed as well.

"We'll ask Lucy when she returns." Erza said in an uncharacteristically small voice.

After what seemed like hours of staring at women undergarments, the group left the apartment and headed back to the guild. Erza stared thoughtfully at the ground while the guys followed behind, unfazed by the sexy underwear. Wendy still had a bright red face as they stepped into the guild.

"Welcome back." Mirajane greeted. The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage cocked her head in confusion. "What's wrong with you girls?'

"Mira, when would you don sexy underwear?" Erza asked bluntly, sitting at the bar. Other guild mates close by chocked on their drinks and food as they overheard their Fairy Queen's question.

"Why?" Mira asked cautiously. She looked over at little Wendy's embarrassed face. The Sky Dragon Slayer took a seat at the bar as well; she needed to know this for when she grew up.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Natsu scoffed. "Lucy is weird like that."

"What? Are you saying that if she wore that in front of you, you wouldn't react at all?" Gray asked incredulously. Not that he had feelings for the Celestial mage, but Lucy had a nice body and any man in the guild – with the exception of the oblivious Fire Dragon Slayer – would agree.

* * *

"Love rival!" Juvia growled in a dark tone, hiding behind a support beam as she listened to the group talk.

* * *

"Why should I?" Natsu asked innocently. Gray sighed and shook his head.

"I feel bad for your future girlfriend if you can even get one." The Ice Make mage said.

"What, Gray?!" Natsu yelled, holding up a fist.

"You heard me, Fire Breath!" Gray yelled back. Natsu tackled Gray to the ground, the two of them throwing fists left and right.

"It's manly to fight!" Elfman yelled, standing up to join the brawl.

* * *

"What is wrong with them?" Pantherlily asked as Happy and Charle flew to sit on the same table as him.

"Human women." Charle replied.

"Sexy underwear." Happy said at the same time.

The black Exceed didn't want to ask anymore.

* * *

"Well, Erza," Mira started to answer. "I suppose you would wear them when you want to impress a man."

"Impress a man? But he can't see them under your clothes, right? So what's the point?" Wendy asked innocently. Erza's blush became a deeper red as all conversation nearby stopped. Mirajane struggled not to laugh nervously. "Oh!" Wendy gasped, her mind finally clicking into place. The Sky Dragon Slayer's face became beet red again.

"Mira-nee!" Lisanna complained. "Look what you did!" The Take-Over: Animal Soul mage looked at her guild mates in concern, eyeing their red faces. At this rate, the two would get light headed from all the blood rushing to their heads. Mirajane laughed.

"It's so nice to have innocent ones in this guild." Mira said happily.

"Not innocent anymore." Lisanna sighed. "Look, that's not the _only_ reason to wear… sexy underwear."

Still slightly laughing, Mirajane replied, "Lisanna is right. You can wear them when your outfit calls for such underwear or you want to feel confident."

"Feel confident?" Erza asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Right." Mira said, smiling. Erza sat at the bar stool, deep in thought. "But Wendy, maybe you should wait until you're older."

"Right." Wendy agreed shyly, her face still red. Lisanna watched as Erza still sat deep in thought.

"You don't think Erza will go out and buy this stuff, do you?" Lisanna whispered to her sister. Mirajane just smiled. "Mira-nee." Lisanna sighed.

"Erza will learn through experience." Mira answered, going back to wiping mugs dry.

"I hope Lucy gets back soon." Natsu said, plopping onto the stool next to Erza.

"Weren't you fighting?" Lisanna asked, looking at the group of mages throwing punches in the middle of the guild. "Didn't you start this?" Natsu just sighed in response, leaning his chin onto the bar counter.

"I'm sure Lucy will be home soon." Mira reassured. "It's a seven hour train ride from here to where her job is, she's probably resting before such a long trip."

Natsu still sighed, not reassured in the least. He just wanted his partner to get home so they could have lots more adventures together. With Happy, too, of course.


	8. August 10, X791

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Anistar City.

* * *

Chapter Eight: August 10, X791

* * *

Natsu sat with his chin on his arms, which were lying on the table in front of him. Every time the guild doors opened, the Fire Dragon Slayer perked his head up, anticipating the arrival of his partner. It had been two days since the group got back from their mission near Crocus. Today marked the last day of July and still, Lucy has not come home to pay her rent.

"Natsu, are you going to sit here all day?" Happy asked worriedly, putting a paw on top of Natsu's head. "It's already late afternoon."

"Mira said that she should be back soon." Natsu mumbled into his arms.

"You know Lucy, she likes to take her time." Happy tried to reassure. "But I guess she has been gone for a long time." The Exceed's ears lowered slightly.

"Lucy is a strong mage, you've said so yourself." Levy said, walking up to the table. Team Shadow Gear had come back the day before, finding a sulking Natsu constantly sitting in the guild instead of fighting.

"She shouldn't keep her friends waiting." Natsu grumbled, mostly to himself.

* * *

…Next Day…

* * *

"Gramps!" Natsu said angrily. "Mirajane!"

"What are you doing, Natsu?" Gray asked, following the Fire Dragon Slayer up to the bar to do damage control. Erza, from her seat at a table with Wendy, Charle, and Happy, kept an eye on the boys.

"Where's Lucy? Who's her client?" Natsu growled. Mirajane looked worriedly at Fairy Tail's Master, who sat on top of the bar counter. "She should be home by now." The pink haired man added softly.

"There's no wizard in this guild who can't take care of themselves." Makarov replied calmly. Natsu slammed his fist into the bar.

"I'm not saying that Lucy can't fight her own battles." Natsu started. "But what if she's hurt again? What if her injuries reopened?"

"She was one-hundred percent better before she left the guild." Mirajane said in a smooth voice, trying to diffuse the anger in the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"You said it was a transport job right?" Natsu asked. "Let me just go check on her. I'll drag her happy ass back home."

"This is her first solo mission." Master said, giving his child a stern look. "You want her to think that you believed she couldn't complete it?"

"No." Natsu sighed. "I want to know she finished the job and that she's safe."

Gray stared at their Master and comrades silently. Even he agreed that Lucy has been gone for far too long for such a short mission. Gray understood what the Master was saying; there was no Fairy Tail mage who didn't come out at the top in the end. But there was a difference between coming out on top at the end and stumbling along the way. Lucy might need help.

"Let us at least check in with her client." Gray suggested. "Mira, did Lucy's client send any word back?"

"None," Mira answered, getting out the logbook.

"You're willing to travel on a seven hour train ride just to bring Lucy back?" Master asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course." Natsu said instantly, but also paling slightly at the thought of transportation. "Lucy is our nakama."

"I can't tell you what path to choose." Makarov ultimately said.

"We just want to make sure she's safe." Gray said, understanding their Master. Mirajane laid out the logbook on the bar.

"Her client is Mr. Timund Falk." Mirajane stated. "The job was to transport magical items from here to Anistar City by train."

"Thanks, Mira." Natsu said quickly, turning to the guild doors. "Let's go, Happy!"

"Aye sir!" Happy yelled, flying after his partner.

"Guess that means us, too." Gray said as he walked pass Erza and Wendy's table.

"I'll keep them out of trouble, Master." Erza declared, following Natsu, Happy, and Gray out. Wendy hopped off the bench with Charle, also leaving the guild.

Inside the guildhall, all Fairy Tail members took a pause from talking. Anticipation filling the air as Natsu's team was leaving, once again – this time, to find their absent teammate.

"Master?" Mirajane whispered in the quiet guild, anxiety worming its way into her voice.

"I hope my worries are for nothing and they all come home." Master whispered back.

* * *

"Why would Lucy take a job like this?" Natsu groaned, falling onto the train platform as he stepped off of the train.

"Because Lucy isn't as weak as you." Gray taunted, walking ahead. "Where should we start looking for her?"

"We should start by asking her client." Erza stated. "If we find Lucy along the way then our search would be easier."

"Where do we find her client?" Happy asked, flying next to the nauseous Natsu. "The job said he would be waiting for her arrival at the train station."

"I'm sure someone will know. Having such a powerful magical item delivered here, he has to be somewhat influential." Erza deduced. Wendy nodded and headed towards the closest train conductor, Charle close behind.

"Excuse me," Wendy said in a kind voice. The train conductor looked down at the small girl. "You wouldn't happen to know someone by the name of Timund Falk, would you?"

"And what would a sweet girl like you want with Mr. Falk?" The conductor asked in a curious voice.

"We're from Fairy Tail." Wendy stated, showing him her arm that bore the guild's emblem. "We're looking for some information." The conductor smiled and started walking towards the exit, motioning for the group to follow.

"Take the main road up until the second right turn. Turn there and you can't miss the mansion with the purple roof." The conductor pointed out kindly.

"Thank you very much, sir!" Wendy said happily, bouncing out the door.

"A fool proof plan, use the cute and innocent one to get information." Gray sighed in disappointment. What has Fairy Tail done to this sweet little girl?

"Let's find a hotel for tonight. It's pretty late." Erza suggested.

"But Lucy-" Natsu tried to argue.

"She could be in a hotel, as well, Natsu." Erza cut off. "It is already ten in the evening."

"The train ride was awfully long." Wendy sighed.

"We can have a fresh start on our search tomorrow." Gray said, pulling Natsu along. The Exceeds silently followed in the air.

* * *

…Next Morning…

* * *

After a few minutes of walking, the group found themselves in front of a large white mansion with a purple roof. Erza stepped forward and knocked loudly onto the wooden doors. Inside, the sound of light footsteps came closer and closer until the lock on the door clicked open. The door calmly swung open revealing a woman with greying hair and kind eyes.

"Why hello, how can I help you youngsters?" The lady asked sweetly.

"Hello," Erza replied politely. "We are looking for a Mr. Timund Falk. Is this the right house?"

"Yes it is. May I ask who you are?"

"My name is Erza Scarlet." Erza introduced. "This is Gray, Natsu, Wendy, Happy, and Charle. We're from Fairy Tail."

"Ah! Fairy Tail." The woman said happily, recognizing the name. "We recently hired a wizard from your guild. Well, come in, I will get my husband for you."

The group went inside and found themselves awestruck. This mansion was like Lucy's but made of all marble. The ceilings were painted a gold color, making the sunlight sparkle in the room. Mrs. Falk led them into a living room before walking out to get Mr. Falk. The group sat on the long sofa, waiting for their hosts to return.

"Fairy Tail," A somewhat deep voice resounded. The group looked over and saw a short man with graying hair enter the living room. Mrs. Falk came in behind him. "What can I do for you, today? I do not believe that I have broken any guidelines when requesting to hire one of your mages."

"That's not it at all, Mr. Falk." Erza said. Her guild mates beside her stayed politely silent. Whatever this man said could potentially help them find their friend faster.

"Oh?" Mr. Falk asked. "Then what do I owe this visit?"

"Lucy Heartfilia," Erza started in a serious voice. "She accepted your job offer recently, correct?"

"Oh, yes, what a delightful girl she is." Mr. Falk said.

"Is she in some kind of trouble with the guild?" Mrs. Falk asked.

"She didn't do anything wrong." Gray answered. "The thing is…" He didn't want to continue.

"Did she complete her job?" Erza asked instead. Mister and Missus Falk looked at each other.

"She transported the Mega Stones in perfect condition with no delay." Mr. Falk answered. "And she received the promised 100,000 Jewels from me personally."

"I see." Erza drawled out. Everyone in the living room stayed quiet.

"She didn't seem to be hurt or in pain, did she?" Natsu asked softly.

"No." Mrs. Falk answered. "She did not have a scratch on her."

"Was that the only time you've seen her?" Erza questioned.

"Has she gone missing?" Mr. Falk asked instead. The Re-quip mage nodded slowly.

"She has not come home yet nor has she sent any word to us." Erza informed.

"I see." Mr. Falk said, looking thoughtfully at the coffee table in front of him. "We did see her the day after her job was completed."

"I believe that was the 28th of July." Mrs. Falk added. That date was five days ago.

"I see." Erza whispered, though it was loud enough for their hosts to hear. The Re-quip mage stood up. The rest of the group slowly followed. "Thank you for your time."

"It is nice of you to come all the way out here to look for your friend." Mrs. Falk said gently.

"She's our nakama, of course we'd come to find her." Wendy answered just as softly.

"I do hope you find her." Mr. Falk replied, leading the group back out to the front door. "We will keep a look out here in Anistar City."

"We appreciate your help." Erza said, leading the group out the door. "Have a good day, sir, ma'am."

"Yes, good luck to you." Mrs. Falk said, slowly closing the door.

"Five days ago was the last time Lucy was seen." Happy sniveled.

"She has to be around here somewhere." Natsu growled, trying vainly to sniff out her scent in the vast city.

"Can you really pick up her scent?" Gray asked.

"Mirajane did say she suggested for Lucy to see the sundial." Erza said. "We should start there."

"Better than nothing." Charle sighed. "Happy and I can search for blondes in the air."

"Good idea, Charle." Wendy commented. "Come find us later."

"All right." Charle answered, nudging Happy slightly. "Let's go."

"Aye." Happy said less enthusiastically than usual. The two Exceeds flew straight up into the sky, slowly circling over every inch of the city.

"I think the sundial is this way." Gray said, pointing in a direction as he held open a map of the city given to him by the hotel staff that morning.

Dispirited by the news the Falk's had given them, the group walked on in silence. They eventually made it to the white stoned sundial. The pink gem that served as the clock hand sparkled in the late morning sun. Natsu and Wendy got to work, trying to smell a scent that was days old and trampled over by multiple other tourists and residents.

"Is it possible?" Erza asked after a while.

"If she was here, her scent didn't stay." Wendy informed.

"I tried asking some of the shops nearby, but they can't remember specifically. They have a lot of tourists around here." Gray said.

"Let's keep going." Natsu said in determination. "Maybe she touched something that still has her scent."

After hours of searching, the Fire Dragon Slayer didn't even notice that lunch had passed, and then dinner. The group searched tirelessly for any sign of their Celestial Spirit Mage – a scent, a backpack, a piece of clothing, anything that would prove that she had stepped foot in this town and point to where she had gone afterwards. As the sun began to set, they had searched the entire north side of the city. Happy and Charle flew down from the skies as it neared nine in the evening, joining the group once again. The Exceeds did not spot the blonde mage from the air either.

"Let's have dinner and rest for tonight." Erza said, leading the group to a restaurant.

Natsu, reluctant to put the search on hold, stared up at the stars. Sagittarius shined proudly in the night sky. Lucy had once told him that stars have seasons of their own, each constellation only appearing at a certain time of year. She had then pointed out each of her friends that shined in the sky that night, eagerly telling him what month to expect which constellation to appear. Of course, Natsu just said that the pictures the stars painted looked nothing like their Celestial Spirit counterpart. Lucy had laughed that night.

"Natsu-san?" Wendy called out softly. The Fire Dragon Slayer was broken out of his thoughts. The group silently waited for him to follow.

"Yeah, I'm coming." Natsu said, jogging to catch up.

For tonight, they will rest. For tonight, hope was not yet lost. They still had the whole city to search, and Lucy will appear like a light penetrating the shadows. She'd ask what they were doing in Anistar City. She'd treat them to a huge dinner for worrying them. She'd laugh and tell them that there was nothing to worry about, because she, too, was a Fairy Tail wizard. And in the end, they'd go home together.

* * *

On August 7, The Strongest Team took a train back to Magnolia without Lucy. Five days of vigorous searching in the city and the outside borders showed no sign of the Celestial mage to have been there. The only hope left for the group now was that they missed the blonde and she had gone home whilst they were searching. They didn't want to believe that their friend wasn't anywhere to be found. They didn't want to believe that someone had kidnapped her and taken her hostage. And they most definitely didn't want to believe she had left on her own free will.

After the seven-hour train ride back to Magnolia, the group entered the guild. Their friends looked eagerly as they entered, but the atmosphere quickly disintegrated, seeing that Lucy was not with them. With that, another hope was burned up in flames. She had not returned while they were searching.

"No luck?" Makarov asked Erza quietly.

"Not even a trace." She replied, clenching her fist.

* * *

Natsu jumped up onto the window ledge and hopped inside the dark apartment. At least there was one place that still smelled like Lucy. The Fire Dragon Slayer sat on the pink comforter, staring into the dark room. It was midnight now. Another day had gone by and still no sign of the Celestial mage. Natsu sighed, laying down and burying his nose into the pillow Lucy always slept on. He bit his lip.

He refused to believe that Lucy wouldn't come back.

The Fire Dragon Slayer woke up to the sun hitting his face the next morning. Squinting his eyes open, Natsu turned away from the window, facing the interior of the empty apartment. Reality slammed into his mind, reminding him that one of his best friends still wasn't home. He grunted as he sat up and looked around. The warmth that Lucy's apartment always brought him wasn't there anymore. Now, the home only felt lonely.

Before his eyes, another hour had passed. Natsu just sat on her bed, staring at the furniture. Memories of the Celestial mage were dug up from his mind – Lucy always yelling at him to get out of her home, her offering him and Happy something to eat or drink regardless of invading her privacy. He remembered sleeping in her bed when he felt ill after eating etherion from the Tower of Heaven, taking comfort in her scent and warm blankets. He remembered when he messed with her stuff and she still forgave him easily. He remembered their good times and their bad times while out fighting whoever challenged them. Natsu remembered, and he'd never forget.

* * *

Happy floated into the guild, looking for his partner. The Exceed woke up in their home alone this morning. He sighed, knowing where Natsu had gone the night before. Happy flew to the table that housed Wendy, Charle and Pantherlily.

"Where's Natsu?" Lily asked, chomping down on a kiwi.

"Lucy's place." Happy answered, taking out a fish and staring at it forlornly.

"Why? Did she come back yesterday night?" Charle inquired, hope rising her voice.

"Doubt it." Happy said in a flat voice that was uncharacteristic of him. The white Exceed looked down sadly at her tea. Wendy put her head in her arms and sighed in disappointment.

The guild was still bustling like usual, though now it almost seemed like they were stretching for something to say without reminding themselves that one of their friends hasn't been seen for over a week. Although that wasn't unusual for some guild members, it wasn't usual for Lucy.

Later in the afternoon, Gray entered the guild and stealthily looked around for a blonde. Finding none, the Ice Make mage decided to play pool to let out some frustration. Admittedly, Gray hit the pool balls a little harder than he needed to, missing most of the shots. His team had never been this useless before. Fairy Tail had never been one to fail.

Juvia stood by her Gray-sama, not saying a word. Although Lucy was a love rival, that didn't mean she wanted her friend to disappear. Lucy had always been kind, even when Juvia hadn't been. Kidnapping the Celestial mage for Phantom Lord was something to be angry over, but Lucy had done nothing but accept her into the guild. They even worked well together at the Tower of Heaven. The Water mage absently realigned the pool balls for Gray when he somehow managed to put all the balls in the pockets in his anger. She didn't say a word and he never offered any in his silent anger.

Erza watched them silently from the second floor. Her friends were sad, they were angry. The Titania had never felt so ashamed for not being able to protect her nakama. Her family. She'd have to find Jellal. He was hunting down dark guilds with Meredy still. Erza hoped it wasn't the case, but if the dark mage from Estrella Oscura had escaped his confinement and went after Lucy when she was alone, Lucy could be hostage there. Jellal and Meredy could keep a look out for Lucy where she could not.

The Re-quip mage's eyes roamed her guild mates down below. Natsu was noticeably missing. Happy sat with the other Exceeds. Not even the lovesick Juvia said a word to Gray. He was just as upset as the others on the team were. They couldn't find a single hint of Lucy. Fairy Tail had failed. Even worse, Fairy Tail had failed their guild mate.

"Let's give it a few more days." Makarov said. Erza turned around and saw the Master step out of his office.

"A few more days, then." Erza agreed, turning back to look at the others. They were the only two on the second floor today.

"There wasn't a note at her apartment?" He asked.

"None." Erza sighed. "Where could she have gone?"

"We'll never stop searching." Master said in his commanding voice. "Not until she's home."

"And we'll always be waiting." Erza replied. "Until she comes home."

* * *

It was early evening when Natsu came into the guild. He asked Mirajane for some dinner, his first meal of the day. He had sat in Lucy's empty apartment the whole time. The memories of them kept resurfacing in his mind. Natsu finally got the strength to leave when he remembered her smiling face the day he dragged her off to Fairy Tail for the first time. Lucy loved this place. Lucy loved the people. She'd return.

"Not hungry, Natsu?" Mirajane asked. She saw him stare at the plate she put in front of him for the last few minutes. The Fire Dragon Slayer snapped out of his thoughts once again and picked up a fork to eat the fire pasta.

"Thanks, Mira." Natsu said softly. The Take Over mage smiled sadly, looking around the guild. The activity in the guild seemed to have subdued since Team Natsu came back without the Celestial mage. Not that Mira could blame anyone; she, too, didn't feel like livening up the atmosphere.

Lisanna hadn't come to the guild today either. Her younger sister said that she didn't feel well and wanted to stay home. Mirajane held in her sigh, wiping down the bar. She knew Lisanna stayed at home to cry. Mira and her talked late into the night the day before when news came that no signs of Lucy were found. Lisanna asked if it was her fault, if Lucy felt she had been replaced. The eldest Strauss sibling had tried to reassure Lisanna that Lucy had left on the job with no ill will towards her. Even after their talk, Lisanna still couldn't face Natsu's team. The Take Over: Animal Soul mage couldn't stop thinking that Lucy had felt betrayed by her.

Mirajane looked over to Natsu and saw him slowly take a bite of his food. His eating pace slowed down to the point where a sloth could beat the Fire Dragon Slayer in an eating contest. After another hour of slow eating, Natsu finally finished and called to Happy so they could head home.

Everyone slowly trickled out of the guild, leaving Mirajane and Master as its' last occupants. Mirajane wiped down all the tables and cleaned the dishes and mugs. When she finished, she went up to the second floor to tell the Master she was leaving. Mira found him staring up at his single bookshelf. The bookshelf was used to keep records of the happenings at Fairy Tail – records such as mission logbooks when they weren't in use and a detailed list of all of the wizards in Fairy Tail.

"Master?" Mirajane cautiously called. "Are you looking for something?"

"No, Mira." Master said seriously. "I know exactly where to find it."

"It?" Mira asked. A memory appeared in her mind of Master taking down a book with an intricate binding and writing a name. "But Master…" Tears bristled in her eyes. Makarov stayed silent. He didn't want to open the book either, but what more can he do?

* * *

…August 9, The Next Day…

* * *

"Where are you going, Natsu?" Happy asked frantically. His partner didn't say anything about a mission and yet the Fire Dragon Slayer had his backpack on his back and entered the guild, heading straight for the Master.

"I'm going to find Lucy, where else?" Natsu said, almost angrily. Happy backed off, flying a little behind his partner. The other guild members stared; they had never seen Natsu angry at the blue Exceed before. "Gramps!" Natsu called.

"What is it, Natsu?" Makarov asked in his usual half drunken voice.

"Estrella Oscura." Natsu said. "Where is their base?"

"Why do you want to know?" Makarov asked putting down is mug of ale.

"Why is everyone asking me that? I'm going to find Lucy." Natsu growled. Sadness had given way to anger over the night, as he was plagued with more memories of the Celestial mage.

"You're going to raid an entire dark guild by yourself?" Erza asked, coming to stand by them.

"What of it? It's not like we haven't done so before." Natsu answered back snappily. Erza raised an eyebrow. The guild waited for the Re-quip mage's usual retort. Nothing came.

"You can't go alone." Erza said calmly.

"Then come with me," Natsu said. "Or just stand back and watch." Erza narrowed her eyes at him, trying to read of all Natsu's emotions. The guildhall became quiet.

"I forbid you." Makarov said. The guild remained silent. The Fire Dragon Slayer spun around from facing Erza to face the Master.

"What?" Natsu growled. "Don't you want Lucy back?"

"Even if the whereabouts of Estrella Oscura were known, I would still forbid you from going." The Master said in a stern voice.

"Gramps!" Natsu shouted.

"Natsu!" Makarov yelled back. "I don't need you to recklessly invade a dark guild while your emotions are high strung."

"My emotions are fine!" Natsu shouted.

"Why do you think Estrella Oscura has her?" Erza asked, cutting off the screaming match.

"That rat bastard that made our magic hurt Lucy was from there." Natsu growled lowly. "He might've escaped or his buddies are out for revenge."

Erza stayed silent, her eyes moving to the Master. She didn't want to step out of line, but she had thought the same thing as Natsu just the day before. It was the decision of the Master whether Natsu's 'request' was approved or denied.

"You are not to confront Estrella Oscura unless you have proof, and even then you need to come talk to me first." Master Makarov ordered. Natsu growled louder.

"They could be doing all sorts of shit to her!" The Fire Dragon Slayer hollered. "And you want to just sit back and let it happen?!"

"Estrella Oscura has acquired objects that are well beyond your magical ability." Makarov said in a stern voice.

"Screw that! Lucy needs my help!"

"Losing the whereabouts of one child is hard enough, but sending another out to their death for a suspicion is something no parent will do!" Makarov bellowed back, standing up on the bar top.

"You said the other day that you can't tell us what path to choose." Natsu said, his voice going back to a normal level. "I'll choose my own path." The Fire Dragon Slayer and the Master stared into each other's eyes.

"Go then." Master challenged. "Go to your death."

The other guild members stared in shocked silence. Everyone's eyes were wide in surprise. Never has their Master spoken in such a tone to a member of his guild - to one of his children.

"Master," Mira gasped softly.

"I'd hate to see how Lucy would react when she returns, knowing that you threw away your life." Makarov said. Natsu clenched his fists tightly, head bowing down. Silence reigned once again.

"Natsu," Erza called out softly. "I'll find Jellal for us. He'll help." She whispered as she got closer to him and grabbed the straps to his backpack. "Put this down." Natsu abruptly turned around, tipping Erza off balance for a second. The Fire Dragon Slayer slapped her hands away, his head still bowed.

"Do you even care?" Natsu said in such a low voice it was hard to hear.

"Care? Of course I care." Erza said, offended. "I want Lucy back just as much as-"

"Do you even care?!" Natsu yelled, cutting her off. "Because of your fucking brilliant plan to go on a mission without her… Because you made us leave her behind!" Natsu took a breath. "Do you even care that my last memory of Lucy was her giving us a sad expression."

"Natsu," Erza whispered in shock.

"Lucy should never have to be sad anymore!" Natsu said, his voice getting louder at every word. "She's a Fairy Tail wizard, and she should never feel lonely! Is this how you wanted your plan to work, Erza!?" The Re-quip mage remained silent.

"Natsu, you're going to far." Gray said; his teeth clenching as he approached the group. "Erza would never-" The Ice Make mage was cut off as a metal-gloved hand grabbed his shoulder.

"You're right, Natsu." Erza said calmly, standing straight, her arms at her side. "I hurt Lucy, our dear nakama."

"What are you doing?" Gray asked in a whisper.

"Natsu just needs someone to blame right now." Mira whispered back instead, trying hard to hold her own emotions in.

"I made our precious friend sad." Erza said sternly, waiting for a response from the Fire Dragon Slayer. "Well? Aren't you going to fight me? A Fairy Tail member always battles the ones who hurt our family." Natsu's fist clenched tighter, bursting into flames before going out just as swiftly. He would never hurt his friends, not like this.

Natsu shoved Erza to the side as he strode past her. Many of the other members quickly got out of his way as he headed towards the doors. Happy followed after him after getting a meaningful look from the Master. The Exceed would make sure that Natsu, even through rash decisions, remained safe. The Fire Dragon Slayer slammed the doors shut behind him and Happy, leaving his guild mates unsure how to respond.

Lucy, their cheerful Celestial mage who – like many others – had a tough past and yet continued to smile, had actually disappeared. The members of Fair Tail couldn't wrap their mind around it. Sure, being a wizard was a dangerous occupation. Fairy Tail wasn't immune to deaths or disappearances by any means – they've had their fair share just like other guilds in Fiore.

When Team Tenrou had disappeared, many guild members left due to the little amount of jobs that were sent to Fairy Tail. At that point, with fewer members, there were no disappearances or death besides those at Tenrou Island. Now though, the group that was trapped at Tenrou for seven years had returned. No one ever expected this. No one ever wanted something like that to happen again, and yet, right under their noses, another family member vanishes.

* * *

August 10, X791. With tears brimming his eyes, Master Makarov wrote down the name Lucy Heartfilia in Fairy Tail's Missing Wizards record book. His children stood before him, witnessing the truth of the situation. Reedus unsteadily put up a framed painted picture of the smiling Celestial mage by the bar with the acronym M.I.A. in the top left corner. Closing the book, Makarov looked over his children. Many of them had tears filling their eyes, others looked down at the ground, trying to hold their emotions together. The guild doors shut. No one had to look to know that a pink haired mage had been the one to leave.

For the first time in a long time, Fairy Tail's guildhall remained silent. And for many days afterward, the moment of silence for their missing friend remained.


	9. Going Separate Ways

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Chapter Nine: Going Separate Ways

* * *

Five days. It had been five days since anyone had seen Natsu Dragneel after he stormed out when Lucy's name was written into the Missing Wizards record. For five days, the guild was plunged into silence and sorrow. According to Fairy Tail's rulebook, any mage that has gone missing and written in the record book, all other Fairy Tail members shall continue to live and look for their lost comrade whenever out on a job. Fairy Tail didn't need such a ridiculous rule. They would've looked for their nakama anyways. Everyone was family, after all.

Happy came every so often into the guild and reported about Natsu's whereabouts to Makarov and Erza. The Fire Dragon Slayer hardly left his home in the forest, only going out to sneak into Lucy's apartment at night. Every time the blue Exceed entered the guild, he always left with a bag of food in hand. Natsu hadn't made any food for himself the past few days, nor attempted to get any.

A full week had past by before Natsu walked back into the guild. His usual bright smile replaced with no emotions at all. His worried guild mates gave him sad smiles as he passed. The Fire Dragon Slayer walked up to the request board, grabbing one that caught his eye. He walked over to Mirajane at the bar and placed the flier down.

"Natsu?" Mirajane questioned, reading the mission. "Are you sure?"

"What's there to be sure about? It's just another job." Natsu replied, his voice steady but held no remnants of the once cheerful persona.

"You're going to find treasure out in the ocean." Mira said softly as she took out the mission logbook. "You'll be on a boat for hours."

"It's in Hargeon, I don't care what the job is." Natsu said just as emotionlessly as his first words.

"Is there something you need to do in Hargeon?" Mira asked next, writing down that the job has been taken.

"It's where Lucy and I first met. I might find her there." Natsu said softly. The Take Over mage looked up and stared into the downcast eyes of the Dragon Slayer.

"Good luck." Mira said, handing him the flier. Natsu nodded and started to walk away.

"We'll come with you." Gray said, blocking Natsu's path.

"No thanks." Natsu answered. "I'd rather go alone." Neither of them moved.

"At least take Happy with you." Erza compromised. "He's been worried." Natsu nodded, stepping to the side and walking around the Ice Make mage.

"Come on, Happy." The Fire Dragon Slayer called. The blue Exceed summoned his wings and slowly followed.

"Aye sir." Happy whispered.

Gray and Erza stood in the middle of the guild where Natsu left them. They'd never imagined Natsu could become so unlike his usual self. He was supposed to be happy, always laughing and making jokes with their friends. He was supposed to smile and live life to the fullest. Of course, the entire guild was still mourning the disappearance of a family member. Not knowing whether she was dead or alive. Erza and Gray looked at each other. For now, just knowing that Natsu wasn't acting irrationally anymore was enough for them. Until time healed their wounds or Lucy was found, this was the best they could hope for.

* * *

"Levy, why don't you put down that book and have a real meal?" Jet asked worriedly, putting down a bowl of Fairy Tail Ramen. "You've been at it for four days straight now." The Solid Script mage slammed her book down onto the table, making Jet and Droy flinch.

"I don't get it." Levy said in frustration. "This makes no sense."

"What don't you understand?" Droy asked cautiously.

"Estrella Oscura." Levy replied without looking up from her book, the steaming bowl of ramen sitting beside it. "That guy that Lucy and her team were after."

"What about him?" Jet pushed, taking a spoon and putting some noodles in it with chopsticks, blowing softly to cool it. "Open." Jet commanded softly, putting the spoon near Levy's mouth.

"He to-" Levi started to say but her voice was muffled as the spoon was pushed in her mouth. The Solid Script mage glared at her teammate.

"You haven't eaten anything decent for four days." Droy said, giving her an understanding look. Four days ago, Levy had still been crying nonstop at the loss of her best friend. "You can't help Lucy if you're ill." Grudgingly Levy started to chew her food.

"We're just looking out for you, you know." Jet said, getting another spoonful ready, this time with a slice of pork. "You can't blame us for worrying."

"Lu-chan would do the same for me." Levy sighed, taking the full spoon from Jet's hand and feeding herself before giving it back to him.

"Of course she would." Droy agreed. "She would do everything she can if someone went missing, like we're doing everything we can with the little information we have."

"But to help her, we need to keep our strength up." Jet said, handing Levy the full spoon.

"You're right." The Solid Script mage sighed, eating another mouthful.

"What didn't you understand before?" Droy asked, trying to read the book from across the table.

"That Estrella Oscura mage took a rare vase from the Cait Town Museum, that's why we got the job request in the first place." Levy explained, taking the spoon and chopsticks from Jet so she could feed herself.

"What's weird about that?" The High Speed mage asked.

"That vase…" Levy said softly. "It's just a vase."

"Just a vase?" Droy repeated.

"There's no magical energy, no way it can be used to store magic, nothing." Levy sighed, taking another bite. She just realized she was starving after four days of little food.

"Maybe for money?" Droy suggested.

"Master did say that Estrella Oscura had a lot dark magic items that even Natsu can't beat." Jet added. "Maybe they made a mistake and took the wrong vase."

"Possibly…" Levy trailed off, biting her lip. Tears weld up in her eyes. "Lu-chan…"

"We'll find her." Jet said confidently.

"Save your tears, Levy." Droy said next. "Lucy wouldn't want you to cry." The Solid Script mage gave a small smile, nodding and wiping her tears away.

* * *

"Tch." Gajeel huffed, crossing his arm as he chewed on a nail.

"Something wrong, Gajeel?" Pantherlily asked. The Iron Dragon Slayer didn't say anything back as he stared at Team Shadow Gear's table. Jet was tenderly feeding Levy. Gajeel scoffed again. The black Exceed looked over to where his partner was staring and said, "Is there a reason you're looking over there?"

"It's disgusting." Gajeel growled, turning away and grabbing a bolt to bite into. "She's not a baby, she can feed herself." Pantherlily looked from his partner to Team Shadow Gear.

"I just see teammates taking care of each other." Lily said. "Levy hasn't eaten much the past few days."

"She's small enough as it is." Gajeel started to say. "She needs something healthier than ramen."

"Oh?" Lily asked, almost smugly. "And you would know what was best for her, right?"

"Damn right." Gajeel growled, eating more iron from the bowl in front of him. "And it ain't ramen."

"Bolts and screws?"

"They're delicious."

Lily sighed, turning back to watch Team Shadow Gear. The Exceed had suggested they take a job a few days ago, but Gajeel had refused, saying he wanted a break. Lily wondered if the Iron Dragon Slayer actually wanted to rest or if he wanted to keep a close eye on the Solid Script mage.

* * *

"Master." Erza called. Makarov looked up at her as she entered his office.

"What can I do for you, Erza?" He asked, eyeing the slip of paper in her hand.

"I'm going on this S-Class mission." Erza stated, handing him the flyer.

"I see." Makarov said, reading the paper over. "Go ahead, I approve. See Mira before you go."

"Of course." With that, Erza took back the flyer and started to walk out the door.

"Are you going by yourself?" Makarov asked just before she reached the door.

"That was the plan." Erza responded, hardly looking back. "Gray said he'd check in a different area."

"Why don't you take Wendy with you? You are her teammate and it would be good experience." The Re-quip mage turned and smiled to him.

"Of course, how could we leave Wendy behind?" Erza said. "I'll make sure she's safe."

"I trust that you will." Makarov answered with a nod. "Now go look for Jellal."

Erza chuckled lightly, "you knew what I was doing all along?"

"There are other jobs that suit you much more than this one." Makarov said, giving his child a grin. "Make sure you tell him all the dark guilds we've been in contact with."

"I was going to do that just that." Erza said with a reassuring smile. "We'll be back when we find Jellal."

"Come back safely."

Erza walked out of the office, softly closing the door. She headed for the stairs and looked around for Wendy Marvell, Fairy Tail's residential Sky Dragon Slayer and her teammate. The Re-quip: Knight mage scanned the large guildhall, finally landing on a head of blue hair. Wendy was sitting with Charle and Cana.

"I hope you're not being a bad influence, Cana," Erza jested lightly, patting Wendy on the head.

"I resent that!" Cana scowled. "I'm not even drinking."

"What are you looking at?" Erza asked.

"We're looking at a map of Fiore." Wendy answered. "Cana's trying to see if anything stands out to her."

"Why aren't you using your cards, then?" Erza questioned. Cana let out a frustrated sigh.

"No matter what I'm looking for, whether it's location or her well-being, my cards keep giving me the same reading." The Card Magic mage sighed.

"Which is?" Erza pressed.

"The Star card and Temperance." Cana replied, going back to stare at the map. "The Star means hope and Temperance means the union of two beings which could be both romantic or platonic."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Charle asked curiously. She and Wendy were only watching Cana repeatedly shuffle her cards, lay them out in a specific order and flip them over; they had no idea what the cards actually meant.

"I have no idea." Cana sighed, banging her head into the table on top of the map. "My cards have never acted so weird before. I can usually find anyone unless they purposefully didn't want to be found and put a spell on themselves."

"Just do the best you can." Erza encouraged then turned to the Sky Dragon Slayer. "Wendy, Charle, I'm going on an S-Class mission. I think it would be good experience if you joined me."

"Just us? What about Gray-san?" Wendy asked curiously.

"He suggested that we split up." Erza answered. "Are you willing to join me?"

"Y-yeah!" Wendy said, her voice shaking a little. "I will do my best!" The Re-quip mage patted Wendy's head.

"There's no need to worry. I'll be there to keep you and Charle safe." Erza said.

"Well all right." Charle sighed. She didn't want Wendy going on such a dangerous mission, but Wendy has made her own decision.

"Good luck, Cana." Erza said. Cana nodded, silently giving the S-Class mage a look. "We'll return safely. You make sure to do the same if you go out."

* * *

Gray stood in front of the request board, reading all the different job requests that were posted up today. What job would get him to an area that Lucy might be at? Big cities and towns weren't going to cut it if she was being held hostage by a dark guild. After another minute of reading through all of the flyers, his eyes landed on one. The Ice Make mage reached up and took down one of the papers. Kill a monster in some dark and creepy forest that has recently become a criminal hangout. Perfect. Gray looked around him. It was odd not seeing Nab lingering by the request board. Whether he was out doing a job for the first time or just looking for Lucy, Gray didn't know, but he was sure Lucy would appreciate Nab's efforts in finding her.

The Ice Make mage felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Gray-sama?" Juvia asked softly.

"Juvia," Gray replied in greeting.

"Is Gray-sama going out on a job?" Juvia asked. The Ice Make mage nodded. "By himself?"

"We're splitting up so we can cover more ground." Gray replied, referring to his group, although he left out that Natsu had gone off by himself without discussing anything first. Gray started to walk towards Mirajane to tell her that he was taking a mission. The Water mage followed.

"May Juvia accompany you?"

Gray paused in his steps for just a second before moving again.

"No."

"Why?" Juvia asked, shocked. They had been on missions together before and worked well together. The Ice Make mage stopped moving entirely, his back facing her.

"I'm planning to go to the deepest most disgusting places where criminals usually hang out." He replied, still not turning around. "Until Lucy is found, these places need to be checked."

"So why can't Juvia go with you? Isn't it safer for Gray-sama to go with someone?" Juvia asked, hurt that she had been rejected by her love. He didn't answer right away, making Juvia's heart beat faster.

"A pretty girl like you isn't safe in places like this." Gray said softly. He abruptly started walking again towards Mirajane to put the job request into the logbook.

Juvia stood stock still in her spot. Her face blushing lightly as a small smile curved her lips.

* * *

Natsu coughed and groaned as he stepped onto the train platform. The ride from Magnolia to Hargeon wasn't long but it still required transportation. Happy flew around his head, waiting for him to recover. Gathering his strength, Natsu trudged forward.

"Maybe you should rest, Natsu?" Happy suggested softly.

"I'm fine." Natsu grumbled, walking out into the bright sunlight. "Let's finish the job as fast as we can so we can look for Lucy."

"Aye sir!" Happy agreed wholeheartedly, flying high into the air to check out the area where they were to meet their client. "I think it's this way." The Exceed said, pointing north.

"Great." Natsu replied, fast walking towards their client's home.

Once the duo got to their client's large home, Natsu obnoxiously knocked on the door. Their client, a wealthy middle-aged man, opened the door, letting the Fire Dragon Slayer and the Exceed into his home. Their client briefed them on the treasure. The treasure was inside of a sunken ship guarded by a powerful monster. Of course it was, Natsu thought to himself. A boat was scheduled to take them to the area two hours south of shore. The Fire Dragon Slayer held in a groan and thanked the client. Happy and him left the house, heading towards the docks.

"Are you going to be okay, Natsu?" Happy asked worriedly. They had just gotten off a train and now they needed to get on a boat.

"It doesn't matter." Natsu replied, keeping his eyes forward.

"Why'd we come alone?" Happy asked instead. "Erza, Gray, and Wendy could've helped. And don't you think this would be a better job for Juvia?" The Salamander stopped walking but never looked at his partner.

"All I have on my mind is Lucy, these days…" Natsu trailed off.

"Me too. I want to find her as much as you do!"

"All the memories we have together… they just keep replaying in my head like a movie." Happy stayed quiet, blinking confused eyes at his partner. Natsu took a deep breath and covered his eyes with one hand. "What kind of best friend would I be if I couldn't find her?"

"Natsu?"

"Maybe it's a sign." Natsu continued, ignoring Happy. "Maybe she's sending me some kind of sign that she's in one of these places."

"Maybe you just miss her?" The Exceed asked softly. "We all do. I think of all of the adventures we had together a lot, too."

"Of course I fucking miss her!" Natsu yelled, tearing his hand from his face to stare at Happy with a hard glare, tears pooling in his eyes. The blue Exceed met his partner's glare with soft, moist eyes. The Dragon Slayer let his tears fall silently down his face before rubbing at them furiously. "Damn it!"

"Natsu… It's-"

"What am I suppose to do then?" Natsu shouted. His tears kept falling even as he angrily wiped them away with his arm. "It's a sign, it has to be! She's somewhere we've been before." Happy stayed silent, not wanting to push the Dragon Slayer over the edge any further. "Let's just get this job over with so we can start looking."

"Aye." Happy whispered, following Natsu to the docks. Happy's tears fell down his face as well. Lucy was weird, and heavy, and spastic, but Happy loved her, all the same. She always took care of him and played with him… He never got to say thank you. Lucy was the second best friend and best partner the Exceed could ask for, second only to Natsu, of course. The duo soon made it to the docks. Happy quickly wiped his tears and flew faster to catch up to Natsu who was already talking to a sailor.

"We'll set sail whenever you're ready." The sailor said, saluting to the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"We're ready now." Natsu replied. The sailor nodded and led them up a large ship. A few seconds into the ride, Natsu leaned against the railing, gagging up whatever was left in his stomach after the train ride.

"Why'd you take a job like this if you have motion sickness!?" The sailor asked in surprise.

* * *

"Juvia, why didn't you go with Gray?" Mirajane asked as she set down a glass of water in front of the Water mage.

"Gray-sama said Juvia is too pretty to go." Juvia said with a lovesick smile. Mira giggled lightly.

"Then you're not too busy for the next week, right?"

"Does Mira-san need something from Juvia?" Juvia asked curiously.

"I want to take a mission to help search for Lucy but someone has to take over the bar for a little bit." Mira explained.

"Juvia sees." Juvia said, looking over to the request board. "Juvia will help Mira-san out, however Juvia wants to go on a mission as well. Lucy-san… has always been so kind to Juvia."

"That's Lucy for you." Mira said with a smile. "She's always kind, even to those who do her wrong." Juvia nodded. "Do you want to take a mission today? And when you come back, I can go."

"Juvia thinks that's a good plan." The Water mage said, hopping off of the barstool to jog over to the request board. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, a lot of jobs have already been taken to help search for Lucy quicker. Juvia scanned over all the jobs that were left and picked one out. "Juvia will go on this mission." Mira nodded, writing it down in the logbook.

"I'll contact your client and tell him it's a go." The Take-Over mage replied. "Good luck, Juvia. Come home safely."

"Thank you." Juvia said. "Juvia will be back in a few days to work at the bar."

"Bye!" Mira called as she watched the Water mage walk out the door.

Everyone in the guild has been busy lately, going on jobs even when they don't need the money. This left the guildhall unusually quiet. With no solid lead on where Lucy is, it was easier to scatter everywhere while earning money at the same time. Mirajane rested her elbow on the counter and her head in her hand. Everyone was working so hard. She just hoped it wasn't too late.

* * *

"Erza-san, where are we going?" Wendy asked. They have been travelling by train for most of the day and still were on a train.

"Old Fort." Erza answered, looking outside the window. "It's a town in the mountain ranges in the southern part of Fiore. We'll stop at Crocus first and then we'll have to take a carriage to the foot of the mountains."

"It's not the same mountain range as our last job, is it?" Charle asked.

"No, it's the one further south from Crocus rather than north." Erza said.

"That's a lot of travelling." Wendy said in a small voice. "What will we be doing?"

"The job entails that we lift a curse off of the town." Erza said in an even tone. "The curse brings ghosts from all over Fiore and traps them inside." The Re-quip mage never noticed Wendy sweating enough to fill a pool. "And around that area, there has been a lot of dark guild activity. I'm hoping to find Jellal so he can help us keep a lookout for Lucy inside any dark guild headquarters."

"G-g-ghosts a-and d-dark guilds?" Wendy stuttered nervously, still sweating.

"Wendy," Charle sighed. "You're braver than that."

* * *

…Three Days Later…

* * *

Natsu stepped into the guild with Happy flying next to him. They had just gotten back from their job in Hargeon. After searching every nook and cranny of the city, they couldn't find a trace of Lucy Heartfilia anywhere. The Fire Dragon Slayer walked to the back of the guild by the bar. He stepped up to Lucy's picture on the wall. There was now a map of Fiore just below the picture. A town a few hours west of Magnolia was crossed out in green ink with the words _Thunder God Tribe_ printed in the same color floating in front of it. Natsu stared at the mark before taking the light pen in red and crossed out Hargeon. He wrote his own name in red in the air so it also floated in front of the crossed out city.

"Welcome home, Natsu, Happy." Mirajane said kindly, giving him a sad smile. Seeing him cross out the city, Mira knew that he had no luck finding Lucy there. "Would you like something to eat?"

"Fish, Mira!" Happy said quickly, flying to sit on the bar counter.

"Sure, and you, Natsu?" Mira asked.

"Fire chicken." The Fire Dragon Slayer replied as he walked over to the request board. Before going into the kitchen, Mira stared at him curiously.

"Are you going to take another job already?" Mira asked incredulously.

"I have to find Lucy as quick as possible." Natsu stated as he walked away. Staring at the request board, he looked for a specific flyer. The Take-Over mage looked at Natsu worriedly for a bit longer before getting the food ready. Finding one, Natsu took it and walked back to the bar. Happy was already munching on a fish.

"You just got back, shouldn't you at least rest for the night?" Mirajane asked softly, setting down a plate of chicken that was on fire.

"Like I said, I have to find Lucy." Natsu said through a mouthful of food. Mira understood but worried for her nakama. He was going to run himself into the ground at this rate.

"All right, then what's your next job?" She asked, taking the flyer to read. "A job at Mt. Hakobe?"

"That was the next place Lucy and I went together." Natsu said, pausing his bite. "Well, she followed me…"

"Aye! She even complained that it was cold." Happy chimed in. As Mira smiled and wrote in the logbook, she paused.

"Searching Mt. Hakobe will take a long time, Natsu." Mira whispered.

"I'll take my chances." Natsu replied back, ravenously eating his next bite.

"Natsu," Mirajane said seriously. The Fire Dragon Slayer looked up from his food. Serious Mirajane could turn into She-Devil Mirajane, and that would be bad. "I'm not allowing you to go on this mission,"

"What!?" Natsu yelled, getting the attention of some of the other mages in the guild.

"Not until you get a full nights sleep tonight and a big breakfast tomorrow." Mira said sternly.

"But Mir-!"

"This is for your own well-being, Natsu." Mira growled, her aura crackling. "What happens if you exhaust yourself and collapse at Mt. Hakobe? You'll be frozen in ice!"

"I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer, ice doesn't-" Natsu began to argue but was cut off again.

"Insolent brat! If you collapsed at Mt. Hakobe then Lucy will have one less person to look for her." Master Makarov said from the second floor banister. "You're only human and sleeping in such cold conditions will kill you, fire mage or not." Natsu scoffed. "Disobey and consider yourself on house arrest." Master reprimanded. "No jobs, no looking for Lucy, nothing, Natsu."

"Gramps!" Natsu yelled in shock.

"Do as Mirajane says." Master said, staring straight into Natsu's eyes. "This guild doesn't need to lose two family members." The Fire Dragon Slayer glared at his food but continued eating.

"Just sleep tonight, get up tomorrow and come here. I'll give you and Happy a big breakfast and then you can go to Mt. Hakobe." Mira said, more calmly than before. "Please, Natsu. I'm only worried about you."

"Fine." Natsu sighed and nodded. The Take-Over mage looked up at their Master and gave him a thankful smile. Makarov nodded before going back into his office.

"Mira, can I have more?" Happy asked hesitantly, showing Mira the fish bone.

"Of course." Mira said, going back into the kitchen, but not before taking the job flier and logbook with her to put away.

"What's the mission for tomorrow?" Happy asked as he waited.

"Some Vulcan used Take-Over magic on some guy without magic." Natsu said with a shrug. "He'll have to wait a day, I guess."

"It's like our adventure with Lucy when we went to go save Macao." Happy said, thinking out loud.

"Yeah…. Lucy." Natsu trailed off, slowly finishing his food. The Exceed looked down at the counter he was sitting on as memories of the Celestial mage ran through his mind as well.

* * *

"What's a legal guild punk like you doing out here?" A man sneered, summoning a ball of fire to his hand.

"We're going to rough him up good, boys." Another man laughed.

Gray raised an eyebrow. There was an oversized monster that looked like a wild boar behind him that he had just taken down, and these criminals who lived in the forest wanted to pick a fight? The Ice Make mage scoffed. One was a fire mage, at that. Like fire has any effect on him.

"What guild you from, punk?" The first man mocked, looking at the mark on Gray's chest – he was shirtless again. "Lets make a deal."

"A deal?" Gray asked emotionlessly, crossing his arms.

"We let you go unharmed," The second man said. "And we'll take all the women from your guild."

"Fat chance." The Ice Make mage laughed, cracking his knuckles. "First, no way would I make such a ridiculous deal. Second, pathetic thieves like you can never even hope to have a fighting chance against our women."

"Then we'll have to send your head to them on a silver platter." A third man said as he came up from behind the first two thieves. More criminals came up behind the third man. Looked like backup arrived. "What is that mark? Fairy Tail? That stupid guild that just recently won those dumb games?" The group of thieves and murderers laughed. Gray clenched his teeth.

"What are we waiting for? Kill him!" The first man yelled, throwing fire at Gray. Smoke erupted where Gray was. When it cleared, the thieves and murderers saw a large shield made of ice in front of the Ice wizard.

"Natsu can do a thousand times better than that." Gray said, smirking. His ice shield didn't even start to melt. "Ice Make: Geyser!"

* * *

"Erza-san!" Wendy yelled in fright as she ran. A ghost was chasing after her, its feet not even touching the ground.

"Wendy, you can use magic too, you know!" Charle reminded, flying just behind the Sky Dragon Slayer. Suddenly, a huge black sword with spikes shot through the air, going straight through the ghost, making it disappear. The Re-quip mage ran up to the pair in her Purgatory armor.

"Are you all right?" Erza asked, quickly looking over them for any injuries.

"Y-yes." Wendy said with a sigh of relief. The Exceed beside her sighed in disbelief. They really just ran away from a ghost. A ghost! It was broad daylight outside!

"Stay with me." Erza commanded, picking her sword back up. "I think I found a way to lift the curse."

"Thank goodness." Wendy said, following the Re-quip mage into the town's library. "Eeep!" The Sky Dragon Slayer screamed, making Erza whip her head around. Just behind a bookshelf was another ghost, staring at the group with empty eye sockets. Erza placed a soothing hand on Wendy's back to calm the young girl's fear.

"Not all of them want to hurt us." Erza said in a low voice, keeping an eye on the ghost. "They want to leave this place as much as we do." Wendy nodded.

"The faster we get this curse lifted, the better." Charle sighed, clinging onto Wendy's shoulder.

"This way," Erza said, leading them to the back of the library. The town had been abandoned since the curse was placed on it. The mayor was the one to request help from wizard guilds, wanting the town to return to its former glory.

Wendy cautiously looked around, bringing Charle down from her shoulder to hug the Exceed. Charle was trying to be brave, trying not to show fear. The white Exceed's fur stood straight up, fooling no one. The Re-quip mage looked at her companions and gave them a reassuring smile. Erza wouldn't let anything happen to her nakama as long as she was with them. If only Lucy was with her that day… would things have been different?

* * *

"That girl from Fairy Tail. She's gone."

"Perfect, we have nothing standing in our way now."

"What about that other one? The one from Sabertooth?"

"If she becomes any more powerful, take care of her."

"Yes, Master."


	10. Two Going on Three

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Chapter Ten: Two Going on Three

* * *

October 15, X791

* * *

It has been two months since Lucy was officially put onto the missing list. It has been almost three months since the last time anyone saw the Celestial mage in person. There were still no clues as to where the girl had disappeared to or who had taken her. The map below her picture in the guild was slowly, but steadily, getting filled with crossed out areas. Guild members continued to search for their missing family member, but also going on with their own lives.

Today marked the day of the Harvest Festival. Every Harvest Festival was held on the fifteenth of October. This would be the first Harvest Festival Fairy Tail has held in five years. After Team Tenrou disappeared, the guild tried to keep up the tradition, but after two years of failure and loss of money, the guild discontinued the festival. A week ago, the Mayor of Magnolia talked with the Master, granting Fairy Tail the funding and approval to host Fantasia once again.

"Natsu, Happy, welcome back!" Mirajane called out as she saw the duo enter the guild.

"What's going on today?" Natsu asked with a raised eyebrow. He went over to Lucy's picture by the bar and crossed out yet another area on the map.

"Yeah, Mira, what's with all the construction?" Happy asked, flying to the bar counter.

"The Mayor of Magnolia said we could celebrate Fantasia this year." Mira answered with a smile. "Everyone's been busy making floats and getting the costumes ready."

"That's why there were so many people in the city today." Happy realized, chewing on a fish.

"I see." Natsu whispered, lightly stroking Lucy's picture. "She would've loved it this year."

"Our last Harvest Festival didn't go exactly as planned." Mira agreed, her smile turning sad. "Are you up to helping? You don't have to."

"What do you guys need help with?" Natsu consented. Although he loved the Harvest Festival and the Fantasia parade, his cheerful personality has yet to return.

"There's this one float that I think you should help with this year." Erza said, walking to the bar with Gray.

"When did you guys get back?" Happy asked, flying over to the Ice Make mage and landing on his head.

"I got back two days ago and Erza and Wendy got back yesterday." Gray said, lightly patting Happy on the head.

"What is it?" Natsu asked, skipping the greetings.

"We'll show you." Erza said, motioning for the Fire Dragon Slayer to follow. Mira watched them go to the back of the guild, which was currently a construction site. The Take-Over mage hoped Natsu cheered up some with this surprise.

The small group walked outside, Natsu and Happy receiving greetings from their fellow guild mates. They soon made it to one of the last floats in the lineup. So far, it was a large metal platform on wheels. On top of the float was a metal structure with many curvy spikes on top. The structure was currently being painted gold by Reedus.

"Hey! Salamander! Finally, we can use more firepower here. Macao and Romeo aren't cutting it!" Gajeel yelled, holding up a large piece of iron.

"We're doing fine!" Macao argued, his pride as a Fire mage on the line. Romeo sighed, signaling for Natsu to come over.

"What's this suppose to be?" Natsu asked. Erza and Gray smiled, coming up to stand beside him.

"In honor of our Fairy Tail comrade," Erza started. "Gajeel has kindly lent us iron to form a key."

"Key?" Happy asked.

"Loke's key, to be exact." Gray said. "For Lucy and Loke, who couldn't be with us this year."

"Salamander, hurry up and help! Macao and Romeo aren't welding this fast enough. At this rate, we'll be done by next year's festival." Gajeel complained. Natsu stared at the piece that Reedus was currently painting. Lucy…

"Are you up to helping, Natsu-nii?" Romeo asked softly, watching the Fire Dragon Slayer drift off into his own world as he stared at the finished portion of the key.

"Yeah," Natsu said, snapping out of his thoughts. "What do you need?"

"Just weld these two rods together." Macao answered, stepping to the side with his son. "It's going to be the key's shaft." Natsu nodded, standing in front of Gajeel. Taking a deep breath, Natsu let out his roar.

"Hey! Watch where you're aiming!" Gajeel yelled, swatting some fire away. "Damn." Natsu cracked a small smile.

"Would you like to be on this float later?" Erza asked. "Maybe you can do some pyrotechnics to light up the key." The Fire Dragon nodded as he waited for Gajeel to form more iron.

"Can I be on it too?" Happy asked, leaning down to look at Gray's face, effectively covering the Ice Make mage's eye sight.

"Sure," Gray said, lifting the Exceed off his head. Happy smiled widely, summoning his wings to fly around.

"Erza-nee, isn't the Miss Fairy Tail Contest going to start soon?" Romeo asked, watching as some of the members went into the guildhall. The Re-quip mage whipped her head to the side.

"Crap." Erza hissed, speed walking into the guild to get ready. Gray shook his head and sighed.

"You guys don't want to watch?" The Ice Make mage asked. "It looks like everyone's taking a break."

"I'd rather just work here." Natsu said, blowing more fire. Gejeel scoffed, holding the iron pieces firmly together.

"I have to be here so Salamander does this right." The Iron Dragon Slayer said.

"Dad?" Romeo called out, looking around. Macao had already went into the guild.

* * *

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen!" Max said charismatically into a microphone. "Our fairy beauty pageant – the Miss Fairy Tail Contest – is about to begin! I, the Sand wizard Max, will be your host today!" Cheers from Fairy Tail members, citizens of Magnolia, and tourists rang loudly through the guildhall.

"There are a lot of people in here." Gray said, sitting down at a table with Romeo and Happy.

"They're manly." Elfman informed, nodding. The Ice Make mage shook his head.

"Entry Number One! An exotic beauty that can hold her alcohol like no one else! Cana Alberona!" Max yelled, moving his hand to point at the woman walking to the front of the stage. Cana, in a blue bikini top and capris, made a sexy pose. "Now, she'll use her magic to appeal to the audience!"

The Card magic mage held up a deck of cards, fanning them open. She held her hands up. The cards shot up into the air, making lightning, fire, water, and flashes of light appear above her. While the audience was captivated, Cana used another card to change her outfit. She changed into a duplicate of Lucy's white bikini with a pink flower on the left breast and right hip, her black Fairy Tail emblem showing proudly on the side of her stomach.

"White with pink flowers isn't really my thing." Cana said with a seductive smirk. "You better laugh it up while you can, Lucy." She whispers.

"She's changed into a swimsuit!" Max said, trying to get the audience excited.

"Looks like a lot of people have Lucy in mind today." Erza whispered from behind the curtain with a fond smile.

"Entry Number Two!" Max yelled. "A breathtaking beauty with precipitation! Juvia Loxar!"

"May these feelings reach my dear Gray-sama." Juvia whispered, making a tidal wave of water on stage.

The Water mage flooded the stage with water, blocking the audiences' view. Juvia transformed her body into water as she sat on the ground. Her dress changed into a blue bikini while her lower body was still wrapped in water. Juvia molded the water into a mermaid's tail, covering her legs. As the water disappeared from stage, the audience cheered some more at the transformation.

"Lucy-san, stay safe." Juvia whispered before giving a big smile. "Gray-sama! Are you watching?"

"Aquarius, huh?" Gray said softly, smiling with closed lips.

"Entry Number Three! The guild's prized poster girl whose beauty has enraptured the entire continent!" Max said, his shoulders shaking in excitement. "Mirajane Strauss!" Mira stood on stage, happily waving at the crowd.

"It's been seven years, but I bet she's still a top contender!" A shout rang through the crowd.

"Transformation magic is my specialty, so I'm going to transform!" Mira announced. The crowd waited with bated breath as her body was covered in magic. With a poof, Mira's tall stature shrunk to eleven inches tall. Her body shivered as she raised a shaking hand.

"Why did she transform into Plue?" Elfman said in shock, his eye twitching. The crowd remained silent in disbelief. Happy laughed hysterically, rolling around on the table.

"Every year." Gray sighed.

Max stood beside the replica of the Celestial Spirit with his mouth hanging open. Quickly composing himself, the Sand mage continued, "Entry Number Four! This Titania needs no explanation!"

"That's me." Erza said, jumping out from behind the curtain and flipping onto the stage.

"Erza Scarlet!" Max introduced.

"The strongest woman in Fairy Tail!" A man yelled eagerly in the audience.

"Allow me to demonstrate a special re-quip in honor of our nakama." Erza said with confidence.

A multitude of colors surround the Titania, covering her body. In a flash, Erza revealed herself in a blue crop top with a yellow Fairy Tail insignia on the left breast and a blue skirt. Erza had white knee socks on and gym shoes. In her hands were pink cheerleading pompoms. The Re-quip: Knight mage did a series of cheerleading poses, shaking the pompoms rapidly.

"That's very… different from her usual." Macao said in surprise.

"Lucy's style really doesn't fit everyone." Wakaba sighed next to him.

"Oui." Reedus agreed, holding a clipboard with the scores so far.

"Entry Number Five!" Max continued "A petite fairy with cuteness and intelligence! Levy McGarden!"

"Levy!" Jet and Droy cheered from the front of the stage, their hands shooting high into the air.

"Solid Script: Stars!" Levy said, putting her hands high in the air. The stage suddenly looked like the night sky with all of the Zodiac constellations shining brightly.

"Levy!" Jet and Droy cheered once more.

"Entry Number Six! The sexy sniper and mother of one, Bisca Connell!" Max yelled.

"Mommy!" Asuka yelled happily in her father's lap.

Bisca walked out in her normal outfit, a bandeau, an open vest, and a skirt paired with a pair of cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. The Re-quip: Sniper mage threw glowing coins into the air before re-quipping to a rifle. Waiting patiently, Bisca took a shot as the coins lined up in the air. With a smokescreen of magic, the coins transformed into golden keys, falling gracefully into her hands.

"Yee-haw!" Bisca cheered, showing the crowd the keys.

"Entry Number Seven! One of the guild's youngest member and our residential healer, Wendy Marvell!" Max shouted. The Sky Dragon Slayer shyly stepped onto the stage with a bright smile.

"Wendy is in this contest?" Gray and Happy yelled in surprise.

Charle flew in with a giant golden star, stopping just above Wendy's head. The Sky Dragon Slayer took a deep breath, looking straight up.

"Sky Dragon Roar plus Cure!" Wendy yelled; a tornado of sky magic flew straight upwards towards the golden star. The Cure spell made the attack sparkle like glitter and prevented harm to Charle. Once the attack died down, the golden star had been transformed into a pink Fairy Tail insignia. "Thank you, everyone!" Wendy said in appreciation.

"Wasn't that adorable?" Max asked the audience. "Entry Number Eight! The green fairy that flies through thunder, Evergreen!"

"I am the definition of fairy." Evergeen said, smirking. "Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!" In the air, the glowing yellow orbs lined up to form a star with wings on it. "But I suppose I can give Lucy the title for now." Evergreen said with a shrug and a smile. She snapped her fingers and the orbs burst into glitter, raining down on the audience.

"Today's Miss Fairy Tail Contest is in honor of our nakama who, unfortunately, couldn't be with us today. Please give your thoughts and prayers to her safe return home. That concludes the contest!" Max said into the microphone. "The results will be displayed tomorrow in the outdoor café! Enjoy the rest of your day!"

Natsu stood by the back door smiling slightly. Lucy would be happy that everyone was still thinking of her. He turned around to go back to the floats as everyone in the guildhall started to move towards the exit.

* * *

Fireworks were set free into the night sky. Everyone currently in the city of Magnolia gathered around the main street, waiting with anticipation for Fairy Tail's Fantasia Parade to start. The crowd roared with excitement as the first float came rolling in. It was a simple float with Fairy Tail's emblem glowing brightly up front. Guild members in costumes danced all around the insignia, showing off various forms of magic. Women in fairy costumes danced in front of the float, egging the crowd into cheering.

Odd floats of animals started moving on the street behind the first float, showing the fun side of the wizard's guild. Fairy Tail members dressed in costumes that matched the float they were on. Some danced with flags, others juggled with beach balls and throwing them into the crowd.

Elfman transformed into his Beast Soul form and roared at the crowd as he stood on a castle float. Mira appeared on top of a tower on the castle, transforming into her Satan Soul: Sitri form – showing the audience she was _not_ a damsel in distress. Lisanna stood on a different tower of the castle and transformed into various cute animals so her siblings didn't scare all the little children.

Gray and Juvia stood on a float together, once again. This time, The Ice Make mage conjured up a large, beautiful, ice flower. The Water mage shot a geyser up from the middle of the flower, making the float sparkle. Gray then froze some of the geyser water so _Fairy Tail_ could be written on top.

Erza stood on a tall column with Wendy and all three Exceeds at the base level of the float. The Re-Quip mage summoned up various swords, making them circle her. The Exceeds flew around, dropping glitter and streamers onto the audience that were close to the float. Wendy summoned a less powerful Sky Dragon: Wing Attack, making it seem like tornados were on the float.

The second to last float started moving down the street. A large golden key with a lion's head shined brightly, reflecting the lights of the fireworks. Natsu stood up front, sending fire above the key to produce Lucy's name. Streams of fire came shooting out of the flamethrowers attached to the float, reflecting the gold paint additionally. Spitting more fire into the air, Natsu spelled out _Fairy Tail._ The words suddenly started to wrap around the key, making a cyclone of fire before disappearing, leaving the metal structure unharmed.

On the last float, Fairy Tail's Master, Makarov Dreyar, stood on a fancy looking float that was colored in every odd color imaginable. Makarov danced in a cat costume, wagging his tail to the audience. Gajeel, who was making sure all the floats got out all right, shook his head. Old men sure acted weird. Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe stood on the last float, dazzling the Master with all kinds of magic. The intimidating group smiled at the crowd, shooting their power into the sky to create custom fireworks.

As all the floats made it half way through the route, the Master held up his pointer finger into the air, thumb extended. The other guild members soon followed one by one. No matter where a Fairy Tail member is, everyone is always watching each other's back.

* * *

…Late at Night…

* * *

"Natsu, why are we here?" Happy yawned as he followed the Fire Dragon Slayer through the window. "We should've just slept at the guild like everyone else after partying that hard." The Exceed rubbed his eye.

"I just wanted to drop something off." Natsu said in a low voice. He took his travel backpack off and rummaged inside, pulling out a sack.

"Our reward from the last mission?" Happy asked curiously.

"The money we earned from Crocus is running low." Natsu said, opening a drawer under some pictures. "Lucy needs more rent money."

"We're paying Lucy's rent?" Happy asked, waking up and flying down to the drawer's level.

"So when she comes back, she doesn't have to worry about it." Natsu replied, putting the cash into the drawer. "Looks like Erza already paid for October's rent with this money, I can smell her scent lingering here."

The duo became silent.

"When do you think she'll come back?" Happy asked in a small voice, sitting on top of the furniture.

"I don't know, buddy." Natsu whispered, softly closing the door. The Fire Dragon Slayer looked around the empty and dark apartment. Dust was slowly accumulating over all the furniture and floor. Natsu sat down on the bed, burying his head in his hands. "Why can't we find her?" Happy flew over and sat beside his partner. "We've taken so many jobs the past few months and she hasn't appeared anywhere."

"Natsu?" Happy called out softly as he saw the Fire Dragon Slayer fall to his back, covering his eyes with his arms.

"Why can't I stop thinking about her?" Natsu muttered. The Exceed crawled onto Natsu's stomach and lays down. "Why do I miss her so much?"

"Because she's nakama." Happy said softly. "Because she's our partner."

"Because I…" Natsu trailed off. Happy lifted his head up to look at the covered face of his caretaker. "I… Never realized."

"What?"

"Nothing." Natsu whispered. Silence reigned once again. "I'm staying here tonight, Happy. Her scent… I don't want to believe that I won't ever see her again." Natsu felt Happy nod against his chest. "God, Lucy, what are you doing to me!" He yelled into the silent apartment.

Happy looked at Natsu's covered face. The Dragon Slayer, Happy noticed, was slowly changing. The usual cheerful persona switching to a character that hardly felt any emotion at all, except when Lucy's memory came to haunt him. The Exceed warily walked up to Natsu's concealed face, placing his paws on the arms that shielded his partner's eyes.

"I'm worried about you." Happy murmured. Natsu chuckled dryly, lifting a hand to pat the Exceed's head.

"I'm worried about me, too." Natsu answered. "I know I've been acting weird lately. I don't know what to do, and the only way I found to stop it is to try to feel nothing at all."

"What do you mean?"

"Lucy hasn't left my mind since the day we found out she went on a mission alone." Natsu admitted delicately. "There is literally not a second that her name or her face or all of our adventures doesn't cross my mind. When I see her face, my heart beats faster. And when I remember she's not around anymore, I just want to throw up."

"Are you sick?" Happy asked cautiously. "Maybe Wendy can help?"

"It's been like this since that day." Natsu said. "I thought it would go away. Dragon Slayer's never get sick."

"Then what-"

"I don't know." The Fire Dragon Slayer cut off. "Sometimes I want to laugh at all the things we've done together and other times I want to cry just thinking about them."

"Lucy will fix you." Happy reassured, curling into a ball on Natsu's chest. The Fire Dragon Slayer's hand fell to the Exceed's back. "Our Lucy is too stubborn to be gone forever."

* * *

…Next Day…

* * *

"Erza-san won again." Juvia sighed. Everyone was crowding in Fairy Tail's outdoor café, trying to get a peek at the results from the Miss Fairy Tail Contest.

"You're in second place, though." Levy soothed, patting the Water mage on the back.

"Everyone!" Mira called from the guild doors. The crowd quieted down. "We have to clean up! A Sorcerer Weekly reporter is coming to do a Fairy Tail special after yesterday's festival!"

Some of the guild members quickly scrambled to get all of the passed out members from yesterdays after party out of sight while others picked up toppled over furniture. The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage giggled at the antics of her guild mates.

"What's going on?" Erza asked as she walked into the outdoor café.

"A Sorcerer Weekly reporter is coming." Mira answered. "Congratulations, by the way." The Re-quip mage raised an eyebrow. "You won the Miss Fairy Tail contest." Erza nodded as if it wasn't a surprise.

"Mira, you better come in here." Gray said from the guild doors. "It's a mess." Mira shook her head as she went back inside to assess the damage.

"You haven't seen Natsu or Happy, have you?" Erza asked. The Ice Make mage shook his head.

"I haven't seen them since last night." Gray answered. "They're probably at Lucy's place. Natsu's been doing that a lot lately."

"He's paying for Lucy's rent." Erza informed. "I went there yesterday to pay with the money we earned from that Crocus mission and there were more jewels in the drawer."

"We don't want Lucy to worry about her apartment when she comes back." Gray agreed, laughing lightly. "I admit, I put some in that drawer too."

"500,000 Jewels will do nicely for the next seven months." Erza decided.

"500,000? The contest reward?"

"Of course." The Re-quip mage answered.

"Hopefully she won't be gone for that long." The Ice Make mage sighed.

"Cool! Cool! Cool!" a voice excitedly yelled, rapidly approaching Fairy Tail's headquarters.

"Here we go," Gray said, opening the doors to warn the others.

"Titania! Cool!" The reporter yelled.

"Hello, Jason." Erza said coolly. "It's good to see you again."

* * *

…Late Afternoon…

* * *

"What do you think is going on in there?" Happy asked as he and Natsu walked to the guild. Screaming and crashes were heard outside. The Fire Dragon Slayer shrugged, walking into the guild.

"Salamander! Cool! Cool! Cool!" Jason yelled, abandoning his mini interview with the silent Team Shadow Gear.

"Oh, it's you." Natsu said, blinking in confusion as Jason ran up to him.

"Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail's Fire Dragon Slayer. Salamander!" The Sorcerer Weekly reported said, his voice getting louder after each title. "Can I ask you some questions?"

"I'm kind of hungry." Natsu replied in an even tone, stepping around the reporter to go to Mira. "Can I get some food?"

Jason followed obediently, sitting down in a stool next to Natsu. Happy sat on the counter on Natsu's other side.

"Fish, please, Mira!" Happy said.

"What would you like, Natsu?" Mira asked kindly.

"What's your favorite food?" Jason asked next.

"Fire Chicken, today, Mira." Natsu answered, ignoring Jason. However, the reporter quickly wrote down the answer in his notebook, taking his camera out and snapping a few pictures.

"How are you these days, Natsu-san?" Jason asked eagerly. "After winning the Grand Magic Games, I'm sure there are a lot of jobs for you to do."

"I guess." Natsu said with a shrug.

"Cool! Cool!" Jason yelled, making the Fire Dragon Slayer flinch from the loud noise. "You seem calmer than the last time we met." Natsu shrugged again, keeping his face emotionless.

"He's asking to get punched." Happy mumbled.

Jason was about to ask another question when something behind the bar caught his eye. The reporter hopped off the bar stool and walked to the back. He eyed the picture of Fairy Tail's Celestial Spirit mage and the map of Fiore.

"I see." Jason whispered to himself, looking at the acronym M.I.A. on the side of the painting. The ever-excited reporter became somber. "Nastu-san, isn't this your partner?" He asked, turning around to face the Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu looked up from the plate of food that Mira placed in front of him, staring at Lucy's picture once more.

"Yeah." Natsu said softly, looking back down to eat quicker.

"May I ask what happened?" Jason asked cautiously. Mira looked on worriedly; ready to step in if Natsu felt any more uncomfortable.

"I don't know." The Fire Dragon Slayer said, picking up his plate of food.

"What do you mean?" Jason pushed a little.

"I don't know what happened." Natsu said with his back to the reporter. He and Happy took their food to the table Erza, Gray, Wendy, and Charle sat.

"You'll have to excuse him." Mira said softly. "It's been hard on us, especially Natsu."

"Of course." Jason said, understanding. "When did she disappear? How?" Jason looked at the painting again, Lucy's smiling face staring back at him, belying that anything was wrong.

"Officially, it was August tenth." Master Makarov said, walking up to the reporter. "She was out on a mission by herself."

"Was the job too difficult?" Jason asked, writing things down in his notepad. Makarov saw but didn't stop the reporter. Perhaps other guilds would help look for their missing member.

"She finished her job perfectly." Makarov said, hopping onto the bar. "Something must've happened on her way home."

"No clues?"

"None." Makarov confirmed. "We've been checking around."

"That's what the map is for, yes?" Jason asked, taking a picture of the painting and map on the wall.

"Yes. As you can see, nothing has come up yet." The Master said.

"Natsu Dragneel's name comes up many times." Jason noticed, reading all of the floating names that were made with a light pen.

"They were close." Mira answered this time. "Lucy and Natsu were inseparable. The two of them did everything together." Jason nodded, his reporter persona quickly fading with the heart-rending news.

"Is this the reason why a lot of the festival had something to do with stars and keys?" Jason asked. Makarov and Mirajane nodded.

"It was unintentional for all of the Miss Fairy Tail contestants to do something related to Lucy." Mirajane admitted. "Since everything was broadcasted through lacrima vision, perhaps she saw. We really do miss her, she's a part of our family."

"And the golden key float?" Jason inquired.

"In honor of our friend." Makarov answered. The reporter nodded, writing everything down.

* * *

"Natsu," Erza greeted as he and Happy sat at the table.

"Hey," Natsu answered softly, eating the chicken on his plate.

"You shouldn't let Jason get to you." Gray said, sipping from a glass of water. "He's just doing his job."

"It's a shitty job." Natsu mumbled. Erza cracked a smile, seeing the old Natsu in his response.

"Maybe other guilds will help us look." Wendy suggested. "Fairy Tail has a lot of allies."

"Why don't we take a job together?" Erza asked. "We can get away from Jason, and I would hate to have Lucy come back to a team that's out of sync."

"It has been a long time since we were together." Charle agreed.

"Please, Natsu?" Happy begged cutely.

"Fine." Natsu sighed. He really wanted to continue his list of all the places he and Lucy had adventures at, but it could wait one mission.

"Great." Erza said, nodding. "Gray, you've been going to criminal hangouts and headquarters, haven't you?"

"Yeah," Gray answered. "Just incase Lucy got caught or some kind of clue is in their office or something. I want to cover all the bases and not just dark guilds."

"Which is good. Why don't we take one of those jobs? A bigger one that you normally shouldn't go on by yourself." Erza recommended. "Maybe an S-Class one to cover even more ground."

"Sounds dangerous." Wendy sighed, thinking back to the ghosts.

"We're together, we should be okay." Charle said, drinking her tea.

* * *

…One Week Later…

* * *

"Hey, Sting, I got that Sorcerer Weekly magazine for you." Rogue said, throwing the magazine at Sabertooth's new Master.

"The one that came out Wednesday?" Sting asked excitedly. "The Fairy Tail special edition?"

"Yes, Sting, the one that came out yesterday." Lector sighed, shaking his head. "The headlines are all about their Harvest Festival. It was cool that they televised it on lacrima vision."

"Fro thinks so too." Frosch agreed, sitting on the Shadow Dragon Slayer's shoulder.

"What's this?" Sting asked, reading the cover.

"What?" Rogue asked, walking to stand beside the White Dragon Slayer.

"Breaking News, page 9." Sting read out loud while flipping the page. Lector hopped onto his partner's shoulder to get a better look.

"One of the lasts Celestial Spirit Wizard disappears." Rogue recited the headline, then reads the introduction sentence, "Fairy Tail's only Celestial wizard, Lucy Heartfilia, has been missing since August 10, X791. Her guild mates have desperately search for their lost comrade since that day."

"Look at all the X's on this map." Lector said in awe as he pointed at the picture of a map of Fiore.

"Being one in the handful of Celestial mages left in Fiore and the owner of ten of the twelve rare Zodiac keys, her disappearance could mark the extinction of this holder type magic." Rogue continued to read.

"Isn't she Yukino's friend?" Sting asked, looking at the other Dragon Slayer. "Go get her, will you, Lector, Frosch?"

"Sure." Lector said, jumping off of Sting. "Come on, Frosch."

"Okay." Frosch agreed, walking out of the office with the other Exceed.

"Ms. Heartfilia wasn't known for her great battling skills, but she works quite well with Natsu Dragneel, who is famous for being destructive. Her other teammates, Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, and Wendy Marvell have also complimented Heartfilia's intelligence in battle and in tight situations." Rogue read out loud again.

"Sting-sama, Rogue-sama?" Yukino hesitantly asked as she entered the office. "Lector-sama and Frosch-sama said you wanted to see me?"

"Yeah, look at this." Sting said, motioning for Sabertooth's Celestial mage to read the magazine. "She was a good friend of yours, right?" Yukino blinked in confusion before silently reading through the article.

"Wh-what?" The Celestial mage said in shock. "H-how could that happen?"

"Ms. Heartfilia went on a job by herself. No one in Fairy Tail thought much of it until days passed by and there were no signs of their comrade returning home." Sting read out loud this time. "After preforming a transportation job perfectly, Lucy Heartfilia vanished, presumably, on her way home. Two months have passed and there are no clues as to who had taken Ms. Heartfilia or why she never returned to Fairy Tail."

"Yukino." Rogue said gently, seeing silent tears fall down her face.

"I'm going to go see them." Yukino said softly, wiping her face. "She wouldn't just… There has to be something I can do."

A few days after reading the news about Lucy Heartfilia, Yukino sat upon a train on her way to Magnolia to visit Fairy Tail. The train ride wasn't long, but for the distressed Celestial mage, it couldn't have felt longer. Once at Magnolia Station, Yukino rushed out with a suitcase rolling behind her. Spying the large guildhall from afar, she quickly made her way to Fairy Tail.

"Excuse me?" Yukino shyly called out as she entered through the doors.

"Isn't that that one Saber girl?" Someone asked quietly, though loud enough for the Celestial mage to hear.

"Yukino, what are you doing all the way out here?" Mirajane asked, stepping out from behind the bar. The Take-Over mage gently took the luggage from the Sabertooth member. "Come have a seat at the bar." Yukino nodded, following Mira. The Celestial mage felt the eyes of other Fairy Tail members on her, but they soon shifted back to what they were doing, not worried about her presence. "Is there something wrong, Yukino?" Mira asked.

"I saw the Fairy Tail special edition of Sorcerers Weekly." Yukino said, sitting at the bar as Mira placed her luggage on the side and put a glass of water in front of her. "It said that Lucy-sama…" The Take-Over mage nodded.

"She's been missing for almost three months now." Mira confirmed.

"So it's true." Yukino said softly, wringing her hands together in worry.

"Unfortunately." Mira replied, leaning her forearms on the bar. "Is that why you came here?"

"There has to be something I can do to help." The Sabertooth Celestial mage said, her determination increasing. "Lucy-sama has always been so kind to me, we've become good friends."

"Lucy is lucky to have you as a friend." Mira said with a smile. "I'll show you the map."

"Map?" Yukino questioned, getting up from the seat to follow the Take-Over mage to the wall.

"Every time someone goes on a mission, they search the area they're in for any signs." Mira explained. "So far, nothing. You could help by doing the same."

"That's the map that was pictured in the magazine." Yukino whispered.

"It's a bit more filled out since then, but still no clues." Mira sighed. "We appreciate your offer to help, though. The more people looking, the better." The Celestial mage nodded in agreement.

"I'll try to get Sting to have other Sabertooth members help."

"Thanks a lot." Mira said sincerely.

"Did you find her keys?" Yukino asked suddenly, her eyes widening. "Ten of the Zodiac keys are with her, you know how dangerous that could be in the wrong hands."

"No, we didn't find them." Mirajane sighed. "Nothing happened in the Celestial Realm, did it?"

"The others haven't said anything." The Celestial mage whispered, pulling out her keys. "When I've called them out these past three months, nothing seemed to be wrong."

"That's a bit of good news." Mira said, going behind the bar. "Are you hungry? I can get you something."

"Well I-" Yukino was cut off as the guild doors opened.

"That was too easy." Gray complained. "Was that even an S-Class mission?"

"The location is what made it an S-Class mission, Gray." Erza said. "It is also why we took it in the first place."

Wendy sighed. Even after an S-Class mission, the team still had enough energy to argue. The group walked over towards Mira to get a bite to eat and tell the Take-Over mage that the mission was completed.

"Welcome back." Mira greeted.

"Yukino-san." The Sky Dragon Slayer gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard the news about Lucy-sama." Yukino replied softly. "I came here to see if I could be of any help." The Celestial mage watched as Natsu disregarded her presence for the moment to write on the map, crossing out a certain area.

"No luck?" Mira sighed.

"Nothing." Natsu answered, putting the light pen with the others.

"It was kind of you to come help." Erza said.

"Another Celestial mage could useful." Gray said next, nodding in greeting.

"Why don't we move to a table? The bar is getting crowded." Charle suggested, flying with Happy to an empty one.

"Who do you have?" Natsu asked.

"What do you mean, Natsu-sama?" Yukino said in confusion, sitting down in her new spot.

"Zodiac guys." Natsu replied. "Maybe one of them could tell us if any of Lucy's were summoned into this world and where."

"That's a pretty good idea." Erza agreed. "If you don't mind, Yukino."

"Of course not." Yukino said, her smile reappearing. She stood up and took out a golden key.

"You know, you're pretty smart sometimes, Natsu." Happy said. The Fire Dragon Slayer's eye twitched at the hidden insult.

"Open, Gate of the Balance, Libra." Yukino chanted her spell. The key glowed gold, summoning the Celestial Spirit Libra into the guild. Other guild members looked on with bated breath – this could help them find their own Celestial Spirit wizard.

"Is there something you wished from me?" Libra asked, moving her hands slowly, smoothly, while keeping her body balanced as she shifted her leg.

"Information." Natsu said in a no nonsense voice. Libra raised an eyebrow – both in irritation at the command and curiosity.

"Libra," Yukino called softly. "You remember Lucy-sama right? She has contracts with the other ten Zodiacs."

"Of course." The Celestial Spirit answered, shifting her posture once again.

"Have any of them been summoned into Earth Land recently?" Yukino asked.

"Not that I am aware of." Libra said after a moment of silence. "The only golden gates that have opened recently are mine and Pisces."

"Any silver gates?" Yukino asked next.

"None that are owned by Miss Lucy." Libra informed.

"Then Lucy-sama hasn't used her magic." Yukino sighed in disappointment. "Her contracted spirits, do they know where she is?"

"I cannot say." Libra answered. "It is against the privacy law in the Celestial World."

"Fuck that law." Natsu growled, getting dangerously close to the Celestial Spirit.

"Nastu-sama!" Yukino gasped in surprise. She quickly tried to get in between them.

"Calm down, Natsu!" Gray yelled, pulling the Fire Dragon Slayer's shoulder back.

"No one has seen her for three months now." Erza said, stepping in. "Is there anything you can tell us that doesn't conflict with your laws?"

"Nothing in particular that can help you." Libra answered, unfazed.

"Loke-san!" Wendy gasped in sudden realization. "Lucy hasn't used her magic, but can't Loke-san come through his gate on his own will?"

"Yeah! Loke will keep her safe!" Happy agreed.

"Leo can only come through his gate if his owner allows free passage. A key owner can lock our gates if they desire." Libra informed. "And like I said, none of the gates owned by Miss Lucy have opened recently."

"You're not telling us that…" Gray started to say.

"Take it back!" Natsu yelled, shaking Gray's grip off of him. "Lucy would never restrict your freedom!"

"I never said she would." Libra said calmly. "I only stated a fact."

"Then Lucy…" Charle whispered in shock.

"She wouldn't give her friends up either." Natsu snarled angrily.

"There are other ways to obtain our keys." Libra answered, setting her two feet on the ground, getting serious.

"Stealing isn't an option because of our contracts." Yukino whispered.

"Can't you obtain a key by breaking the law and get taken to prison?" Erza asked.

"Miss Lucy does not seem like the type to break Fiore law." Libra answered with a shrug.

"Besides, news of her going to jail would have spread like wildfire. And Master would've gotten word from the Council." Wendy reasoned. The group stayed silent for a moment, contemplating. There was only one option left, one that had put Aries into Oracion Seis' hands.

"Then… No… Libra, you can't be serious." The Celestial mage said in disbelief, her eyes widened.

"I'm only stating a fact, Yukino." Libra said again.

"Tell us there's another way." Gray said desperately. The Celestial Spirit stared at him with unwavering eyes.

"Lucy…" Natsu whimpered, falling to his knees. "She can't be… dead."


	11. Six Months Without Her

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Thank you to the 'guests' that have reviewed! I usually detest answering reviews in the chapter and prefer answering through private messaging through the site or email, but some of you have made a few good points that I want to clarify before you continue reading on.

* * *

 _Virgo can come through her gate on her own_

Yes, I am aware that Virgo is capable of this feat, like Loke. In previous chapters, I use Loke/Leo as more of an example. I have gone through the Fairy Tail anime/manga multiple times just to make sure some information I put into the story is correct.

* * *

 _Why didn't Natsu and the others in Fairy Tail ask Yukino's Celestial Spirits to take them into the Celestial World to question the others?_

It has been stated in both the anime and manga that taking anyone into the Celestial World is against the contract between Celestial Wizard and Celestial Spirit. Breaking this rule in the contract results in the termination of said contract. So, unless Yukino wants to break Celestial World Law and ultimately lose her keys, going into the Celestial World was not exactly an option.

Although, sacrificing things for your friends/family is "good" and "the right thing to do", Libra was not about to break her own law just so they could find a human she barely knew. As seen with Loke's situation, breaking one of the more stricter laws, results in getting locked out of the Celestial World.

I am also aware that Natsu and the others have been to the Celestial World, but that is either with the Spirit King's permission or the Celestial World was about to collapse.

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Six Months Without Her

* * *

" _Natsu!" A girlish voice called excitedly._

 _The pink haired Fire Dragon Slayer looked to the left and then right, seeing no one. The female called his name again, prompting him to turn around. In the distance stood a woman in a flowing white dress, waving an arm in the air excitedly. Her blonde hair reflecting the bright sunlight that shined in the grassy field._

" _Come on, slow poke!" She yelled, putting her arm down. Her smile widened as she twirled around, her back now facing him. "Come find me, Natsu!" She ran forward, getting further away._

 _Natsu snapped out of his stupor, taking a tentative step forward before sprinting after the girl. The open field slowly morphed into the forest where he and Happy go fishing. The Fire Dragon Slayer looked around slowly. Where had that girl gone? A soothing fragrance wafted into his nose as the light breeze shifted his way. Natsu took a right. He saw the wind blow the girl's dress from behind a tree. Tentatively, Natsu looked around the tree trunk._

" _Oh, that's not fair! You used your nose." The woman said with a pout._

" _Lucy," Natsu whispered. She tilted her head to the side in confusion._

" _Why are you so quiet? What happened to my loud and boisterous Natsu?" Lucy asked, poking a finger into his cheek. Natsu turned his head away from the offending finger, lightly scowling. "Come on, Natsu!" She exclaimed, grabbing his hand._

 _He was yanked along with her. Where she led him, he didn't know. Natsu didn't mind, as long as he was with her. Lucy hummed softly, absently lacing their fingers together and swinging their arms. She was happy. That's all that mattered to him. They walked for a while longer._

" _Lucy?" Natsu questioned, looking down at the shorter girl as she continued to lead him along._

" _We're almost there, don't be so impatient." She lightly scolded, squeezing his hand and giving him a blinding smile._

 _In a blink of an eye, the two were standing in the middle of a large town. No one was around them. Natsu looked around cautiously, the only sound in this city was the crash of the ocean waves._

" _Where are we?" He asked._

" _We're in Hargeon, silly." Lucy giggled, turning to face him, squeezing his hand once more before releasing it. "This is the exact spot where we first met and you broke me out of that charm spell."_

" _Oh," Natsu whispered, looking at the yellow building beside them. He remembered now. This was where that fake Salamander gave him the autograph, as well. The Fire Dragon Slayer stared into the eyes of his companion._

" _This is where my life changed." She whispered. Her brown eyes stared into his soul. "Where you made my dream come true." Lucy took a step closer, only a centimeter away from his body._

" _Lucy…"_

" _I don't think I can ever repay you for everything." Lucy said softly, rising to her toes and putting her arms around his neck. Natsu stayed frozen. Her breath fanned against his lips. "If you'll let me…" She trailed off, her face getting closer to his. "I want to spend the rest of my life trying."_

 _His eyes widened. Her soft lips pressed into his. Warmth spread throughout Natsu's body. The fire raging inside became unbearable and yet, he wanted that heat to stay… forever. Slowly, Natsu returned her kiss, his eyes drifting shut. Almost as if he were afraid to break her, Natsu gently wound his arms around her small waist, pressing her body against his. One of her hands crept into his hair, making shivers run down his spine._

 _The warmth was gone. The feel of her safe in his arms was absent. She had vanished from his embrace. Natsu opened his eyes. Lucy wasn't there. Around him, a forest blazed in red and orange flames. The Fire Dragon Slayer looked around frantically. He was impervious to fire, but his best friend… his precious friend was not._

" _Lucy?!" Natsu yelled, trying to smell her scent through the thick smoke. He ran into the flames, not caring as they licked his flesh. "Lucy!"_

" _Natsu." A voice echoed through the forest. Natsu looked up into the sky, where the sound resonated. The sky had turned a deep red. "Help me, Natsu." Biting his lip, Natsu ran forward._

" _Lucy!" He yelled again, his voice getting as loud as he could make it. "Where are you?"_

" _Natsu," Lucy whimpered, suddenly appearing a few feet away from him. Her pure white dress burned in various places, ash riddled her body, and blood ran down the side of her head._

" _Lucy," Natsu gasped, running forward and taking her shoulders in his hands. "What happened?"_

" _I'm lonely, Natsu," Lucy whimpered, falling to her knees and sitting down. He kneeled besides her, putting a hand on her cheek that wasn't bloodied._

" _Lonely?"_

" _I'm alone, Natsu," She continued, her tears increasing._

" _What are you talking about? You're never alone. You have Fairy Tail… You have me." He whispered back, wiping the tears aside._

" _You love me, don't you?" She whispered, staring hopeful eyes at him. He found himself nodding. "Come find me, Natsu. It's lonely here."_

" _You're right here, what do you mean 'come find you'?" Natsu asked. Smoke surrounded them, covering up the burning trees._

" _Help me, Natsu."_

 _Her body started to turn into glistening remnants of magic. From the side of her head, she turned into small glowing orbs. Natsu's eyes widened._

" _What's happening?" He said frantically. Her one eye that remained cascaded more tears before she disappeared completely, flowing up into the red sky. "Lucy!"_

* * *

…

* * *

"Lucy!" Natsu gasped, bolting into a sitting position, the pink comforter pooled into his lap. Sweat poured down his face and neck as the Dragon Slayer panted. He looked around the dark room frantically, trying to get his bearings. Natsu let out a shaky breath, bringing his knees up. He put his elbows on his knees and then his forehead in his hands. "Lucy."

"Natsu?" Happy whispered worriedly.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Natsu asked softly, not looking at his partner.

"You're crying." The Exceed said, ignoring the question. Happy stood up on the bed and placed a paw onto Natsu's side in comfort.

"Am I?" Natsu asked dryly, letting out a pained chuckle. "Damn it."

"Did you dream of her again?" Happy asked. The Fire Dragon Slayer nodded, not lifting his head from his hands. "What was different this time? You've never woken up scared before."

"She said she was lonely." Natsu whispered. "She asked me to come find her. To help her."

"Why is that any different from your dreams before?"

"She asked if I loved her." Natsu replied softer. Happy tilted his head in confusion, waiting for more. "She asked if I loved her…" Natsu let out another dry, sarcastic chuckle, his tears flowing silently. "And then she died right in front of me."

"Natsu?" Happy murmured worriedly as a tear ran down his own cheek.

"Fucking hell." Natsu growled shakily, his voice thick with his tears. His body was shaking now.

"I know." Happy soothed, rubbing his paw up and down.

It has been a month since the Dragon Slayer realized his feelings. It has been three months since these crazy dreams started to happen, making Natsu confront all of the memories he's made with the Celestial Spirit mage. It has been six months since anyone had seen her. His heart ached in a way that he knew the only one who could mend it was Lucy Heartfilia. His mind thought of nothing but her. Natsu supposed that the saying was true; absence makes the heart grow fonder. They've been through so much together. They've been the best of friends ever since they met. Even the guild saw how close the two had become in such a short time.

Time was a fleeting thing. He wished he had realized sooner. He wished that he had realized this feeling when she died in front of him when Rogue killed future her. He wished he had realized it when she was in critical condition at that hospital in Cait Town. He wished he had realized before the idea of her being dead at this moment was dangling in his face. Libra's words from three months ago haunted his mind, still. Lucy was slipping from his grasp. Death would not let him keep her.

Natsu whimpered, choking on his breath. His body trembled. It was the only sound in the apartment on Strawberry Street that night.

* * *

"You look tired today, Natsu." Mirajane said worriedly as she placed an omelet in front of the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"It happened again." Happy said, seeing as his partner was half asleep on the table.

"Another dream?" She asked. "He's never been this tired though."

"Where's Cana?" Natsu suddenly said, sitting up straight.

"She hasn't come to the guild yet." Mira answered, sitting down on the other side of the table. "Why?"

"Lucy," Natsu trailed off. "She died in my dream last night." He said in a small voice.

"What?" Mira said, shocked, but then settled down. "I'm sure it doesn't mean anything. You're just worried."

"I need Cana to do her card thing." Natsu grumbled, looking around frantically.

"Why don't you take a nap in the infirmary?" Mira suggested. "I'll come get you when she comes in today."

"I'm fine." Natsu grumbled, digging into the omelet.

"But Natsu," Happy whimpered. "You hardly slept last night. And we're suppose to go on a mission later."

"I'm fine." Natsu repeated.

"Do as Mira says." Erza commanded, walking up to the table. "You look horrible."

Before Natsu could retort, Cana walked into the guild, stretching her tired muscles. The Fire Dragon Slayer quickly bolted up and ran to the brunette.

"What's the rush, Natsu?" Cana asked, raising a brow as she saw his appearance. "You look awful."

"So I've heard," Natsu growled. "I need you to do your card thing on Lucy again."

"What for?" Cana asked, walking to the table that housed Happy, Mira, and Erza. "You know it's not going to change. It hasn't for six months now. I even do one every week just to make sure."

"Do it again." Natsu said sternly.

"What's with him?" Cana asked the rest of the group, ignoring the Dragon Slayer.

"Lucy died in his dream last night." Happy supplied, earning a loud growl from his partner.

"Well, all right," Cana said, expelling a breath as she sat down.

The Card mage took out a stack of cards from her purse and shuffled them expertly while applying some magic into them. She then laid some out in a certain order on the table, putting aside the rest. Cana flipped them over, leaving the last two in the middle unturned. The group waited anxiously. Cana hovered her hand over the two cards, taking a deep breath. Finally, she flipped them over.

The Star and Temperance.

The group all let out a breath of relief. Natsu's dream was just that, a dream.

"I told you they weren't going to change." Cana scoffed, though she sounded reassured.

"You sure your magic isn't being messed with again?" Natsu asked skeptically. The Card mage whacked him on the back of his head. "Ow!"

"You thought that that never crossed my mind?" Cana hissed. "I already got it checked out by Master, he says nothing is controlling it or me."

"What do these cards mean again, Cana?" Erza asked.

"The Star Card is a sign of hope." The Card mage explained. "And the Temperance Card means the union of two beings romantically or friendship or otherwise."

"Otherwise?" Mira said curiously, urging the brunette to elaborate.

"It could be that two people are making a deal, signing a contract, or agreeing to help each other out. A partnership of sorts." Cana said with a shrug.

"What do they mean when put together?" Erza said, picking up the Star card as if it held some great secret.

"It means exactly what the cards mean." Cana sighed. "There's some kind of hope, whether Lucy is the hope or there is hope that she will return, I don't know. And the union of Lucy and whoever… It could be anything."

"Lucy… Union?" Natsu mumbled to himself.

* * *

 _Flashback_

* * *

" _Oh yeah! I still haven't made a contract with the key I bought in Hargeon!" Lucy said, stamping her fist in her palm at the realization. "Since you're here, I'll show you how a Celestial wizard makes a contract with a Celestial Spirit."_

" _Oh," Natsu and Happy said in wonder._

" _Think they seal contracts with blood?" Happy whispered._

" _Sounds painful for her butt." Natsu whispered back._

" _Why are you talking about my butt? I can hear you, you know." Lucy grumbled. "Just watch." She held up a silver key, pointing it in front of her. "I am connected with the path to the Celestial Spirit World. Heed my call! Pass through the gate!" Magic surrounded the blonde mage. "Open, Gate of the Little Dog! Nicola!"_

 _A little, white snowman with paws popped into the room. It was trembling._

" _Better luck next time." Natsu and Happy said._

" _I didn't mess up!" She yelled back._

* * *

 _Flashback End_

* * *

"Contract…" Natsu murmured.

"What, Natsu?" Happy asked curiously.

"Lucy… Contract." Natsu mumbled a little louder, his mind slowly putting pieces together. The group turned their attention to the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Natsu?" Erza called, trying to get his attention.

"Lucy and contract." Natsu muttered again. "Ah! Maybe she got a new key?" He yelled in sudden realization. The group blinked at him.

"Maybe." Cana said, looking down at her cards. "That doesn't explain why the Star card is here though."

"Or why she hasn't come home yet." Happy sighed. Natsu sighed with him, slumping down on the bench, putting his head in his arms on the table.

"I need her to be okay." Natsu whispered to himself.

"What was that, Natsu?" Mira asked, having heard noise from him but she couldn't decipher it. He stayed silent.

"The instant this changes, I'll let you know first." Cana said, putting her cards back in the deck and into her purse. "For now, Mira, I could use a drink." The Card mage got up and walked to her usual table.

"Right away." Mira complied, walking off towards the bar.

"Are you all right?" Erza asked, staring at the Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu shook his head. "Do you want to tell me what that dream was about?" He shook his head again. The Re-quip mage sighed.

"Are you sure we should go on a mission today, Natsu?" Happy asked anxiously.

"If we don't go, Lucy will never be found." Natsu mumbled – his voice muffled in his arms.

"If you exhaust yourself, you'll never find her either." Erza said. "Lucy will understand if you take a break. You never stay at the guild for more than a few hours to eat before going out on another mission."

"Which, might I point out, you've been doing for the past three months since Yukino visited." Gray said, walking up to them – shirtless.

"When did you get back?" Happy asked, excited to see his team member unharmed.

"Just a minute ago." Gray said with a shrug.

"How was the mission?" Erza asked.

"Fine." The Ice Make mage replied. "Turns out, it wasn't a criminal hangout spot, but just a pathway that can easily cover their trail into the forest."

"And?" Happy urged.

"Lucy wasn't there." Gray said softly. "I searched every cave and tree hole in that forest and came up with nothing."

"You'd think there would be some kind of sign." Erza mumbled. "A scent, a piece of hair, anything."

"You'd think." Gray scoffed. "She sure knows how to hide."

"She's not hiding," Natsu hissed, lifting his head slightly so his eyes peaked over his arms. "She wouldn't do that."

"I'm just joking, flame brain. Relax." Gray said, putting his hands up. "I want Lucy back just as much as you do, but there isn't much we can do without anything to go on."

"You should mark it on the map and get some rest." Erza suggested to the Ice Make wizard. "You've been gone for a while."

"Yeah, I guess I'm tired." Gray said, stretching his arms in the air. "I'll see you later, then."

"Bye!" Happy said. Natsu just put his head back down in his arms.

"I should be going, as well." Erza said, standing up. "I'm meeting a client later in the afternoon."

"Okay, good luck." Happy said in place of his partner.

"Why don't you take Wendy with you?" Erza proposed. "I'm going on this mission alone and she should work with others sometimes."

"That means Charle will come." The Exceed said with hearts in his eyes. Erza smiled and walked away. "Ne-ne, can we, Natsu?" He asked, poking at the pink haired man.

"Sure, buddy." The Fire Dragon Slayer said sleepily. Happy grinned, letting his partner nap on the table.

* * *

"Iron Dragon's Club!" Gajeel yelled shooting the club into an approaching purple monster. "Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs!" He yelled again, transforming his other arm and shooting at a different enemy.

A little ways from the Iron Dragon Slayer, Pantherlily, in his large form, fought off another two monsters. The Exceed wielded his large sword, expertly slashing at his enemies. After ten more minutes, the two partners looked on with pride as the monsters lay on the ground.

"Finally." Pantherlily sighed, reverting back to his little form.

"What do you mean 'finally'? That was hardly a fight." Gajeel complained, walking around the monsters and towards the canyon like area.

"Finally because we've completed our job." Lily said back. "You just had to go and pick a job clear across the country."

"The flyer said that there's some good iron up here and we can take some if we dispose of the monsters." Gajeel huffed.

"This is an iron ore mining town for a reason."

"Yeah, well, I just hope it's as good as they say."

"I don't think the mayor said anything about it tasting good." Lily sighed. "I'm sure he meant it was a high quality to smelt and then smith."

"I'm starving so it better taste good." Gajeel grumbled. The Exceed shook his head.

"You know iron ore is a rock, right? You have to smelt it to turn it into iron."

"It's still edible."

"It is?" Pantherlily said in shock.

"Just come on." Gajeel said, stepping into the slightly damp area that had yet to be mined. Lily decided to summon his Aera magic so he didn't step in some of the puddles.

"Can you smell any?" The Exceed asked, gazing around. Nothing looked like iron.

"This way." Gajeel said, lifting his nose high.

The two of them went deeper into the canyon like structure. The walls of this environment were dyed a dark mustard color naturally, making the two black haired/furred males stand out against it. Gajeel walked with heavy footsteps, splashing small puddles as he went. Lily flew down towards one side of the canyon.

"Is this it?" Pantherlily asked, touching a speckled rock that slightly shined in the sunlight. "Gajeel?" He called, noticing that the Iron Dragon Slayer wasn't answering. Lily looked over to his partner. Gajeel had a confused expression on his face as he sniffed in a different direction than they were going.

"Come here for a second." Gajeel said, scenting the air. Lily flew over. "Do you smell that scent?" Pantherlily experimentally sniffed the air as well. Two scents lingered here.

"I can't tell who it is. There are two mixed together. You're nose is better than mine." Lily admitted. The Iron Dragon Slayer nodded.

"Why did it suddenly appear here?" Gajeel mumbled.

"It wasn't behind us?"

"No, it started at this spot and goes directly left." Gajeel informed. "This way." The two of followed the trail.

"The scents split." Pantherlily said, his nose finally able to decipher the scent.

"It's probably hard for you to read them because you haven't smelled them in a while." Gajeel said. "Follow the one that veers off." Lily nodded, turning right slightly.

The Exceed followed the scent to an area around a small puddle where it turned once more. Gajeel kept moving straight forward, following the other scent. Lily turned with the scent until it eventually merged back with the other one.

"Small detour." Lily sighed. The two continued until they made it to a spot that looked like rocks had been taken, probably for the iron ore. Gajeel stepped around the area in all directions.

"The scent stops here."

"And it looks like we're still alone." Lily added, flying high into the air to spot anyone else.

* * *

"Oh good, you got our message." A woman said.

Erza turned around slowly, already having felt the presence of them approaching. In front of her now were two figures cloaked in a dark blue garb.

"Jellal, Meredy," Erza said. "It's good to see you're well."

"You, too." Jellal answered, lowering his hood. Meredy lowered hers as well.

"How's everyone else doing?" Meredy asked.

"Fine, more or less." Erza sighed. "Natsu's a bit shaken up at the moment."

"How come?" The Maguilty Sense mage asked, concerned. She and Jellal shared a concerned look.

"He keeps thinking of Lucy's death." Erza said, not venturing into more personal details. She was sure Natsu didn't want the whole world to know. There was silence as the information was processed.

"We hope that is not the case." Jellal said, trailing off.

"Did you get any information about Lucy?" Erza asked eagerly.

"Well… It's why we wanted to meet with you." Meredy admitted. The Re-quip mage waited readily.

"When you told us that Lucy had gone missing six months ago near that ghost town, we made sure every dark guild we took down didn't have her or stash her in some hidden location." Jellal started to explain. Erza nodded. "At one place, there was talk about a Celestial mage."

"Was it Lucy?" Erza asked, stepping closer to them as if it would get her the answer faster.

"We hope not." Meredy said softly. The Re-quip mage looked at her in confusion.

"They were talking about how they outnumbered her and killed her for her keys." Jellal said, cutting to the point. "Celestial Keys are quite valuable, even silver ones."

"E-even outnumbered… Lucy wouldn't…" Erza said, her strong personality shaking.

"We found this." Meredy said, taking something out of her cloak. The Maguilty Sense mage opened her hand, revealing a broken silver key with burn marks on it. "It probably broke during the fight and the dark mages tried to weld it back together."

"It's not one Lucy owns, is it?" Jellal asked unsurely. Erza, with a trembling hand, reach for the key.

"I-It doesn't look familiar to me." Erza said, studying the symbol on top and the design on the tip. "But Natsu would probably know better. I've never asked to look at her keys before, let alone a silver one."

"It would be a bigger concern if it was gold." Jellal agreed. Since all the golden keys were owned by two people, if one was found, they would know who it was supposed to belong to.

"I'll give this to him when I return." Erza informed, pocketing the key safely. "Thank you for all of your help."

"Of course," Meredy said. "I would like to think of her as a friend of ours. I don't want anything bad to happen to her."

"We'll contact you if anything else happens." Jellal said. Erza nodded. There was silence as the two stared at each other. Meredy smiled, quietly slipping away to give them some alone time.

"Thank you, really. Lucy… she…" Erza trailed off.

"I know." Jellal said softly, slowly putting his hand on her shoulder. "She's your nakama."

"Not just that. She's done so much for us and she's always kind. She doesn't deserve something cruel happening to her."

"She'll come home." He said sternly. "She probably wants to come home as much as you guys want her to." Erza nodded her head.

* * *

…One Week Later…

* * *

"You guys are way more reckless without one of the others to keep you in line." Charle complained to the blue Exceed.

"Sorry, Charle," Happy whimpered.

"Charle, you don't have to complain. We came out all right and we finished the mission." Wendy tried to soothe.

Natsu sighed. Even he admitted that the job could've gone better. Not only had the escaped thief given them the slip seven times, the thief made them go in circles. Thus, prompting Natsu to become angry, and, therefore, reckless. Fire had raged in the portion of town they were at, almost crumbling a building right on top of little Wendy and Charle. To top it all off, the thief used their moment of panic to kidnap Happy and use the blue Exceed as hostage. In the end, Natsu – wildly – snatched his partner back and punched the thief unconscious multiple times, letting the magic council deal with the imprisonment. Of course – Fairy Tail will be billed for damages.

"Let's just go home and rest." The white Exceed exhaled in defeat.

"Maybe we should go to the guild first." Wendy said with concern. "I'm sure Master has gotten word…"

"Probably." Natsu groaned, running a hand down his face. "You two go home and rest, Happy and I will deal with the guild."

"It's okay, Natsu-san." Wendy reassured, following him obediently. "I'll mark the city on the map and you can deal with Master."

"Master is used to it." Happy exclaimed like nothing was wrong. Charle slapped her paw to her forehead.

* * *

"Is Natsu's group really not back yet?" Erza asked as she walked into the guild and went up to Gray.

"Haven't seen him." Gray said with a shrug. "He's probably fine."

"I suppose." Erza sighed, taking a seat.

"Something bothering you?"

"Jellal contacted me when I went to go see the client for my last job." Erza confessed. Gray sat up straight, turning his full attention to the woman.

"And?"

"They gave me this." The Re-quip mage pulled out a broken key from her pocket, setting it on the table. "I don't know the silver keys that Lucy owns too well. Does this look familiar to you?"

"I don't think so?" Gray questioned, gently touching the burnt key. "I see why you need Natsu now. He would know." They were silent, staring at the Celestial Key. "What happened to the owner of this key?" Gray asked cautiously.

"Murdered." Erza answered simply. The Ice Make mage flinched.

"Gajeel, Lily, welcome back. You've been gone for a while." Mira called from behind the bar. Erza and Gray looked over to see a serious look on the Iron Dragon Slayer's face. Pantherlily flew in from behind, also giving off a somber aura.

"Where's Salamander?" Gajeel asked anyone in the guild as he walked to the map of Fiore under Lucy's picture. Erza picked up the key and went over to see what information Gajeel had discovered – Gray close behind her.

"He hasn't returned from his job yet." Mira answered, confusion rising in her voice. The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage looked curiously at what the Iron Dragon Slayer drew on the map. Gajeel drew a circle around a mining town on the western edge of the country. "Gajeel. You mean…" Mira gasped.

"You found her?" Erza asked, moving to stand beside Gajeel.

"Why didn't you bring her back?" Gray asked urgently.

"We didn't find her." Gajeel said gruffly, turning around to face everyone. "Just her scent."

"Why didn't you track it?" Gray demanded.

"It appeared out of no where, like she was transported there. No trail leading up to that point." Lily answered. "She walked about twenty feet before it disappeared again."

"There were no other signs?" Erza asked. Cana, who sat just a table away, listened carefully, taking out her cards.

"That one guy she owned was with her. Loke." Gajeel said. "From what it smelled like, they collected iron and left."

"Iron? What for?" Mira asked.

"Hell if I know." Gajeel scoffed. "But they made damn sure that no one could follow them in or out."

"We searched the rest of the area and found no other scent trails." Pantherlily said.

"So it was just that twenty or so feet." Erza said, thinking of possible scenarios. "It was just those two, right?"

"Do you think I'm lying?" Gajeel retorted.

"Maybe someone used teleportation magic on them." Happy said softly. The group looked up, seeing Natsu's group standing in front of them.

"Natsu," Mira gasped softly. Why didn't anyone notice?

"The wizard that uses teleportation magic probably has to be with them. Gajeel said there were the only two there." Gray reasoned.

"It was at an untouched area that was going to be used for iron ore mining." Lily supplied.

"To the west, then." Natsu said, eyeing the map behind the group.

"Didn't I just tell you that there were no other traces of bunny girl?" Gajeel growled. "Lily and I even searched two miles around the place and nothing else came up."

"Maybe you did it wrong." Natsu growled back.

"It took a week to get back and it'll take another week for you to get there. Anything at that point would be gone by then." Gajeel retorted.

"So it must have been fairly recently that she went there for her scent to still be around." Charle said.

"Probably. Two, maybe three days max since she's been there when we were there." Gajeel said with a shrug. Erza and Gray let out a sigh of relief.

"What was that for?" Mira asked.

"Jellal and Meredy gave me some news." Erza said, turning to Natsu. "They informed me that a dark guild that they destroyed killed a Celestial mage a little over two weeks ago."

"How is that good news, Erza-san?" Wendy asked in a small, worried voice.

"They contacted me a week ago." Erza replied. "Since Gajeel and Lily said that the scents weren't that old, it means that this girl wasn't Lucy."

"Then who was she?" Happy asked, saddened that someone died.

"Jellal didn't know. The dark mages didn't know, either. They just wanted the keys because they're valuable." Erza informed.

"What about her body?" Mira asked.

The Re-quip mage paused before saying, "burned." The group became silent, mourning the lost of an innocent. "Natsu,"

"What?" The Fire Dragon Slayer asked. Erza took out the broken key.

"Just to make sure the timeline fits," The scarlet haired woman said, holding out her palm. "This isn't Lucy's key, is it?" Natsu stared at the design, slowly picking up the top half of the silver Celestial key. He rubbed his finger over the symbol on top.

"I don't know what key this is or who owns it, but Lucy definitely never had one like this." Natsu informed with confidence. The group, except Gajeel, who trusted his nose more, sighed in relief. Although they did feel bad that the girl who owned the key had passed, knowing Lucy was alive somewhere put their minds at ease for just a moment.

"Hey, guys, come here!" Cana yelled suddenly, getting the attention of not only the group by the bar, but also most of the other guild members.

"Did something happen?" Happy asked, flying over to the Card mage quickly.

"It changed." Cana said simply, motioning towards the cards she laid out on the table.

"What were you looking for?" Erza asked.

"When I did this for Lucy's well being, nothing changed at all. The Star and Temperance card still showed up. But when I did one for Lucy's location," Cana said, pausing to look at the cards again. "This happened."

"What does it mean?" Natsu asked, impatient to get information.

"She's moving," Cana said. "And still is. My cards are pulling at my magic to do it over because this fortune isn't correct anymore."

"How many times have you done it?" Lily asked.

"If I do it once more, it would be the third."


	12. Day One

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Day One

* * *

"Wow," Lucy said in awe. The sundial was slightly elevated off of the ground with magic. It was easily twenty feet in diameter. The face of the clock was made with a beautiful white stone with gold lining creating a circle inside. The sundial's clock hand was made of a pink gem that glittered in the sunlight. According to the sundial, the Celestial mage had been standing completely in awe for the last twenty minutes. Lucy watched the shadow of the clock hand move ever so slowly as the sun moved in the sky. She wished Reedus were here to paint this amazing scenery or that she owned a lacrima camera.

It was already around four in the afternoon. If Lucy left now she would be back in Magnolia by eleven that evening. The blonde sighed, not wanting to go through the insufferable train ride again. Looking around, Lucy started to walk to the nearest convenience store.

"Getting myself a cold dinner is probably a good idea." Lucy mumbled. The part of town she was currently in was a lot less busy than the other parts of town she had been in.

"Lucy."

Lucy quickly turned around at the sound of her name being called, her hand instinctively going for her Celestial keys. She stared in shock at the person in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" The Celestial mage asked.

"It's time."

"Time? For wha-?" Lucy started to ask but stopped as a light enveloped her. The light disappeared, leaving behind shimmering dust in place of the blonde haired woman.

Lucy let out a small squeak at the sudden teleportation. She quickly looked around. The Celestial mage stood on a circular stone platform that was connected to a stone pathway. For miles around her, other planets floated in the sky that sparkled like stars.

"Welcome, old friend." Lucy whipped her head to stare above her.

"Spirit King." Lucy gasped; she then looked down at her clothes. "Loke! Don't tell me you changed my clothes?!"

"What a sight it was." Loke said with a smirk. The Celestial mage blushed brightly, punching Leo on his arm.

"What am I doing here?" Lucy asked, looking back up at the Spirit King.

"Old friend," The Spirit King said in a commanding voice. "We have a proposition for you."

"Proposition? We?" Lucy said in confusion, looking towards Loke for help. Loke nodded back.

"The other Zodiac Spirits and I have casted a vote." Leo said. "To see which Celestial Spirit Wizard is strong enough to use our power."

"Power? I thought that-" Lucy started to say.

"Our hidden power." The Celestial Spirit King cut off. She waited to hear more. "The one worthy of it must have a strong magic capability and must own at least one Zodiac Spirit."

"We also have to trust you." Loke added.

"Then Yukino also qualifies?" Lucy asked curiously.

"Yes, but we have voted and not a single friend voted against you." The Spirit King informed.

"But Yukino is just as strong as I am, maybe even more." Lucy said in shock.

"Actually, Lucy, you are much stronger than Yukino." Leo admitted. "And you know that the stronger our owner is, the stronger we are on Earth Land."

"You, old friend, can grow much more." The Spirit King said. "Which is why we voted for you to have the option of accepting this new power."

"And what will it entail?" Lucy asked. "I wouldn't believe that you're just giving me free access to your hidden power without some form of payment."

"Ah, this is why you're my owner, my sweet." Loke flirted, putting his arm around the blonde.

"Everything you need to know is in this contract." The Spirit King said, magically lifting up a pile of papers to drop in Lucy's arms. "Read it." The Celestial mage looked at it skeptically.

* * *

"She's here." Aries said softly as she walked up to the group of other Zodiac Spirits.

"Tch, she's the stronger one of the two, but I hope she's strong enough." Aquarius scoffed, hiding worry behind her words.

"She's our only hope." Gemi said as he and his twin, Mini, danced in the air.

"She can make us stronger." Mini added.

"Only if she accepts." The son fish of Pisces replied.

"Princess would not let us suffer." Virgo countered.

"Then we'll just have to believe in her." Libra said. Her, Pisces, and Ophiuchus would benefit far less than the others from Lucy's power up, but it was for the good of their kind. Ophiuchus, who flew above the group, stared down. The hidden Zodiac let out a hiss, tasting the atmosphere.

The Zodiac Spirits stood together, staring at each other's expression. This was it.

* * *

"I see. So I become…" Lucy trailed off as she finished reading the last page of the contract.

"Right." Loke confirmed, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Only if you accept."

"You've proven yourself capable many times." The Spirit King said.

The Celestial mage stared at the contract in her hand. This was one of the biggest decisions she's ever made. Not only was it effecting her, it would effect her friends in the Celestial Spirit World.

"All right." Lucy said, nodding. "I'll sign the contract."

The Spirit King and Leo smiled gently. They knew they could count on her.

"Then let's build you an army." Loke informed.

"An army?" Lucy asked. She felt a tug deep inside her magic vessel. Lucy hardly flinched, allowing the Spirit King to bind her magic to the contract.

"I believe in Fiore, this particular set of keys are called the Hidden Keys." Loke explained. "Here, they're called the Beast Keys."

"Like how you're from the Zodiac Keys set?" Lucy asked.

"Right." Loke nodded.

"Hidden keys are those celestial keys that only appear every so often, aren't they?" Lucy questioned.

"Yes, and that's because they're reserved to only those who sign the contract. When the owner dies, the keys come straight back to this world." Loke said. "We haven't needed anyone to sign the contract in a long time."

"Who exactly is in this set?"

"These are who you are to choose from." The Spirit King said, summoning a book to his hand and lowering it to Lucy's level.

"Choose?" She asked.

"For now, you'll be able to make a contract with ten of the thirty, if they accept you. As you get stronger and earn their trust, you'll eventually be able to have contracts with the rest of them." Loke answered.

"I see." The blonde said slowly, opening the book with caution. "And what if the ones I choose don't accept me?"

"Then choose someone else who is willing to trust you at this moment." Loke answered. "Like the rest of us, they're entitled to their opinions. If they deem you worthy, they'll let you own their key."

"You should consider the hidden power that comes with each spirit, as well, old friend." The Spirit King said, waiting patiently. "Pick the ones most helpful to you to start with."

"So who's stronger? You Zodiacs or these Beasts?" Lucy jested as she carefully read each description.

"Zodiacs of course." Leo said, sounding as if he were insulted. He couldn't believe his owner just asked him that.

The Spirit King chuckled, saying, "indeed, Zodiacs are the strongest, but your new comrades were made specifically for this contract. For combat to be exact." The Celestial mage nodded in understanding. "You must, however, learn how to use them correctly."

"How will I learn?" Lucy asked, looking up from the book.

"We'll be training you." Loke answered. "Even in physical combat."

"I'm not really built for hand-to-hand fighting." Lucy said unsurely.

"That's why we'll be training you." Loke said, pushing his index finger into her forehead as a form of punishment for not listening.

There was a lull in conversation as the Spirit King and Leo allowed Lucy to read through all of the Spirits belonging to the Beast Keys.

* * *

…Later…

* * *

"These keys are completely black." Lucy said in awe as she held ten black keys in the palm of her hands, each with it's own design.

"Pretty, aren't they?" Loke asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah." Lucy whispered. "I hoped they like me."

"You worry too much. You're great."

"But still…" She trailed off.

"Meeting all of them is a little overwhelming." Loke reassured. "You're strong and a good owner, they'll warm up to you." Lucy smiled, nodding.

"What now?"

"Come on, we still have a lot to do today." The Lion Spirit said, putting his arm around his owner's shoulders and leading her. "Your training starts now."

"Now?" Lucy gasped.

"The sooner you get this mastered, the better."

"Well, all right. Where to first?"

"Capricorn." Leo said. "We'll start by strengthening your magic powers and increasing your storage."

"I see." Lucy said. "Where are the others, anyways? I figured there would be way more spirits hanging around." Loke laughed.

"Gold and Silver Key-ers hardly ever venture into the Village of the Beasts." He explained.

"Village of the Beasts? That's where we were?" Lucy asked.

"Each type of key has their own little village where we have homes." Loke said. "It's like a neighborhood. Shops and stuff are public like it is at Earth Land."

"So we must've been in the town square or something of that neighborhood."

"Of course. They all wanted to meet you. They haven't had an owner in a long time."

"When was the last time you guys needed someone to sign the contract?" The Celestial mage asked curious.

"I'd say the last time was a few decades before Fiore was confirmed as a permanently neutral nation in X622. It was when Fiore was still fighting." Loke said nonchalantly. "I think around X600. He passed away in the year of X644 at the age of eighty."

"What?!" Lucy squeaked. "I have a lot to live up to, then." Loke laughed at that.

"You'll do fine." He comforted. "You're already the best Celestial mage on Earth Land."

"There aren't many of us left." She sighed, but smiled, leaning into him. "But thanks for saying that. I'll do my best."

"Great," Loke said, smiling widely. "Because we're just about to see the others." Lucy looked around and saw the group of the other twelve Zodiac Spirits.

"Lucy! What a nice body you have!" Taurus yelled, hearts in his eyes.

"You haven't changed since the last time I summoned you." Lucy sighed, walking out from under Loke's arm to greet the others. "How are you all?"

"Doing well, Princess." Virgo answered in her stoic voice. "Is it time for punishment?"

"Uh…No." Lucy said slowly.

"It's good to see you're well, Lucy. I'm sorry!" Aries said.

"You too." The Celestial mage replied.

"Everyone," Leo called. Everyone's attention turned to him, the leader of the Zodiacs. "Lucy has accepted the contract."

"You better not become more reckless than you are now." Aquarius scoffed. The Celestial mage laughed lightly.

"I'll try not to cause trouble for you, Aquarius." Lucy replied. "Libra, Pisces, Ophiuchus." The three turned to her. "I know I'm not your key owner, but I promise to try my best. I won't let anything happen to you all."

"Understood." Libra said, nodding in appreciation. "We are looking forward to working with you."

"I look forward to working with you too." Lucy said, giving everyone a smile.

"Lucy! Piri Piri." Gemi and Mini said excitedly, floating over to the blonde.

"Hello, you two." Lucy said affectionately, holding out her palms to let them sit in her hands.

"You haven't called us in a while," Gemi pouted.

"I'm sorry," Lucy said, cuddling her cheeks in between the two. "I'll try to call you more often."

"We are!" Scorpio said loudly. "You haven't summoned me, either."

"To be honest," Lucy said with a nervous laugh. "I'm scared to call you out, Scorpio. Aquarius get's quite mad when I interrupt a date."

"Lucy!" Aquarius hissed, giving Scorpio a strained smile and a blush when he turned her way.

"You shouldn't be hurting our owner, you know." Scorpio sighed.

"It's all right, that's just the kind of relationship we have." Lucy said good-naturedly. "I like her the way she is." Gemini floated off her hands to dance in the air.

"Thus, hello, Lucy." Sagittarius said, saluting. "When is the next time I can try shooting an apple on your head?" Lucy swallowed the lump that formed in her throat.

"We can talk later." Lucy said shakily, thinking about how the Horse Spirit missed the apple and shot through Happy's Afro.

"Would you like me to style your hair for your training, shrimp?" Cancer asked, snipping his scissors.

"Sure, Cancer." Lucy agreed. The Spirit of the Crab walked behind her, flipping her hair in different directions. The blonde hoped he wasn't just experimenting a new technique.

"Lucy-sama." Capricorn greeted, giving her a slight bow.

"Hello, Capricorn." Lucy addressed. "Thanks for helping yesterday."

"My pleasure, Lucy-sama." Capricorn said.

"Loke told me you are my first training partner today?" Lucy questioned. The Goat Spirit nodded.

"We are going to increase and strengthen your magic prowess." Capricorn explained. "Shall we get started?"

"Sure." Lucy agreed.

"I hope you like it, shrimp." Cancer said, finishing her hair. Lucy tentatively touched her hair.

"Thanks for the pony-tail, Cancer." Lucy giggled at the simplicity of the hairstyle.

"Come on, Lucy, it's this way to the meditation grounds." Loke said, guiding her away from the group.

"You're coming too?" Lucy asked, but followed. "I'll see everyone later!" There was a round of goodbyes. Capricorn, Lucy, and Leo walked down the stone pathway until they made it to a different floating planet. "I can't believe there's only one pathway that connects all of these planet things." Lucy sighed, her feet aching after the long walk.

"Good thing we're here." Loke chuckled, veering off the path to stand in a large open space.

"There's nothing here." Lucy said softly, looking around.

"No, but it's very quiet and refreshing. A perfect place for meditation." Capricorn said. "Have a seat."

"Okay." Lucy said, sitting down, one leg on top of the other. "Is it going to be like what we did at the beach before the Magic Games?"

"You got it." Leo said. Lucy sighed in dismay.

* * *

…One Hour Later…

* * *

"Why was that so much easier than when I did it before?" Lucy gasped in excitement.

"Because you're in the Celestial Realm, Lucy-sama." Capricorn explained. "A Celestial mage's magic is easily accessible here."

"I should come here to train more often then." Lucy said, falling to her back. "I already feel that my magic is growing and it hasn't been that long."

"We better get to Grandpa Crux." Loke said, pushing himself to his feet and then offering Lucy a hand up.

"Grandpa Crux?" Lucy asked. "Why?"

"Your next order of business is to learn about our hidden magic." Loke said.

"You will be going to the library." Capricorn said, bowing a goodbye. "I will see you in a few hours."

"We're doing this again today?" Lucy said in surprise.

"Of course." Loke laughed. "There's a lot of time left today and you're going to need a lot of magic and concentration to learn and use our hidden abilities." The two of them left Capricorn in the empty field.

"I'm going to be exhausted." She sighed.

"We're only going to be reading next." Leo said. "I'm glad you're a bookworm. You'll have a lot to memorize."

"My brain is going to explode."

* * *

"She's doing well." A man with a black trench coat praised.

"I hope she can keep it up. That girl looks as frail as a piece of paper." Another man with silver hair scoffed.

"Let's have a little faith in her. The Zodiacs wouldn't choose someone that will leave our world in destruction."

"You know as much as I do that there are only a handful of Celestial mages in Fiore left. It's not like we have many choices."

"She's the strongest out of them all."

"That doesn't mean much."

"Then why'd you give her your key?" A woman with light brown hair cut in with little emotion in her voice. The man with silver hair scoffed.

"She's going to need all the protection she can get until she isn't so weak." He said, crossing his arms.

"Still as protective as ever, I see. Even with that nasty temper." The woman mocked lightly.

"She is our last hope. Unless you want her to die and us along with her?" The silver haired man replied. The girl looked away, her face giving up no emotions.

"Let's settle this childish spat, you two are giving me a headache." The man wearing a black trench coat said in a cold tone.

"Which reminds me," The man with silver hair said in afterthought. "Why'd you give her _your_ key? You never give it out for first picks."

"She has been the only one who can use my power to her advantage." The other man replied seriously.

"Not even our last master had the kind of connections she does, I suppose." The woman voiced her opinion emotionlessly. "Hope she can master it, then. For your sake."

* * *

"Puu Puun." Plue said in a soothing voice.

"Grandpa Crux, my head is spinning. Can I take a break?" Lucy whimpered, putting her head on a book that rested on top of the table.

The Spirit of the Southern Cross floated in the air, asleep – a snot bubble increasing and decreasing in diameter as he breathed in and out. The Celestial mage sighed in disbelief, banging her forehead into the book once again. They've been studying for the past few hours non-stop, learning and memorizing spells, what the spells did, how to activate them, and how much magic it would take.

Good news was, the more often they're used the less magic it would take to activate the spells again. The relationship between mage and Celestial Spirit also affected how much magic was used when activating a spell or opening a gate. That was something Lucy was grateful for. There were a lot of spells to know, one for each spirit she had a contract with, and she'd like nothing more than to become great friends with her Spirits.

"Looks like you're studying hard." Loke said sarcastically with a grin as he reentered the library.

"I don't think I can memorize all of this." Lucy groaned.

"Puun puu!" Plue cheered.

"Where have you been? You left an hour ago." Lucy asked, sitting up straight. Leo held up a bag.

"I went to get us some food." He replied.

"Great, I could use a break." She sighed in relief, waiting eagerly for Loke to lie out the food on the table.

"Here, Aries and Virgo made this." Leo said, putting two containers in front of his key owner. "A salad and pasta with tomato sauce and chicken."

"Yummy." Lucy cheered softly. "Thank you!" Loke chuckled in response.

"Did you get a lot done while I was gone?" He asked.

"I've memorized most of the Zodiac spells and activation methods." Lucy informed, chewing carefully. "It's a good thing I already knew what your constellations looked like or else I'll be studying forever."

"Do you know the constellations for your new keys?"

"No." Lucy sighed, absently feeding Plue a cherry tomato. "There are eighty-eight constellations in the sky, I never thought I would need to memorize all of them, let alone learn a spell that needs me to draw the constellation in order to activate."

"At least you don't need to carry a pen and paper around with you." Loke jested. "Have you been able to write with your magic yet?"

"A little." Lucy admitted. "It doesn't hold out for long in the air, though." She held up her index finger, gathering her magic to the tip. Her fingertip glowed yellow. Lucy then drew something mid air in front of her; she was halfway done with the Leo constellation before the magic faded. "See?"

"It's a little hard for a holder type mage to expel magic from their body." Loke reassured. "You'll get it soon, so don't worry about it too much. It'll be like you're becoming a caster type wizard."

"AHHHH!" Grandpa Crux yelled, suddenly waking up. No one was fazed.

"Are you hungry, Grandpa Crux?" Lucy asked cheerfully.

"I forgot to give you a few things." Grandpa Crux said, floating to a higher shelf in the library. He came back down with three books.

"You didn't give her these yet?" Loke asked. "I guess it doesn't matter, you can read these at your own pace, Lucy. There's no rush."

"What is it?" Lucy asked, setting aside her food for now to open one of the books. "What language is this? I've never seen it before."

"It's a language the Celestial Realm used a long time ago." Grandpa Crux informed. "This is the language that our names are in."

"I see." Lucy said, taking a bite of her salad without taking her eyes off the unusual text. "What is it called?"

"Latin." Leo answered. "It's probably why you're having such a hard time reading the names of the spells."

"I figured they weren't in our modern language." Lucy said. "I just figured it was ancient Fiorian or something, not your own ancient language."

"We only changed languages so we can communicate with Celestial mages." The Spirit of the Southern Cross said.

"Interesting." Lucy said, opening another book. It was also in Latin. "What are these books about?"

"One is going to teach you how to read Latin." Loke informed, pointing to a book with a leather cover. "Of course, anyone can help you if you're stuck."

"The other is the history of all of the other Celestial mages that have signed the same contract you did." Grandpa Crux said next, motioning towards a book with a green cover.

"And this," Leo said, putting his hand on the open book in front of her. "Is going to tell you the full reason why we needed you to sign the contract in the first place." Lucy shifted her eyes to look at the Lion Spirit. Loke had a serious glint in his expression, making her realize what was really at stake.

* * *

"Why are you keeping an eye on her, Aquarius?" Scorpio asked as he walked up to his long time girlfriend.

"Just because…" Aquarius trailed off softly. In the middle of the town square was a projection of Lucy. On the other side was a projection of Yukino. Whoever owned a Zodiac Key was projected there so their spirits can know when their owner was in battle or in danger.

"She's safe here." Scorpio said.

"She's going to exhaust that puny body of hers." Aquarius scoffed lightly.

"She can handle herself." The Scorpion Spirit laughed. "She's been your owner since she was a child, shouldn't you know her best?"

"Maybe that's why you worry so much, shrimp." Cancer said, walking out of his home. "You were her first key."

"You were her second." Aquarius mocked, looking at her comrades. "She's a good person that's been through a lot. Are we really doing the right thing?"

"She would have protected us even without this contract and new powers." Cancer said matter-of-factly. "You know that, shrimp."

"She must've been a respectable owner all these years for you to get so worried, Aquarius." Scorpio said in amusement.

"Hmph, she's your owner, too. You know how she is." Aquarius harrumphed.

"An innocent and sweet girl who's been nothing but good to us." Scorpio answered.

"And she worms her way into your heart like one of those heartworms-" Gemi said, coming over to see what the all commotion was about.

"Which makes us want to protect her from anything that will hurt her." Mini finished, going over to the group with her twin.

"We're putting her in danger." Aquarius said seriously.

"She's already in danger." Capricorn informed, also walking towards the growing group with Sagittarius. "As long as we are, she will be as well."

"At least with this power, she can better protect herself, thus, hello." Sagittarius said.

"We're worried too, shrimp." Cancer added.

"Moo, we will protect Lucy and her nice body!" Taurus cried loudly from the front door of his home, seeing the group from his window.

"Aquarius," Aries called softly as she and Virgo exited Aries' home after making dinner for their owner. "I'm sorry. We'll be right there with her, won't we?"

"Yeah." Aquarius sighed. "We'll be at the tips of her fingers." The Water Bearer scoffed.

"Princess has her guild, too." Virgo added. "She's never alone."

"And I hope she never has to be alone again." Aquarius whispered, mostly to herself.

* * *

"Should Loke and I walk you guys home?" Lucy asked as she placed Plue, the Canis Minor Spirit, onto Grandpa Crux's head.

"Puun pu." Plue said in reassurance, shaking his head.

"You still have a lot of meditation to do tonight." Grandpa Crux informed. "We'll be all right."

"If you're sure." Lucy replied. Leo grabbed her wrist gently.

"Come on, Lucy," Loke said, gesturing towards the open field again. "We'll see you guys later."

"Puu!" Plue said goodbye as they parted. The Celestial mage waved with her free hand.

"How long am I supposed to meditate and strengthen my magic for?" She asked.

"An hour probably." Leo said, shrugging. "The day is almost over and you'll need your rest for tomorrow."

"I'm staying here in the Celestial Realm?" Lucy asked in surprise as they walked along the singular stone pathway.

"Of course. Just until tomorrow though."

"I thought humans couldn't survive here for long, even with Celestial clothing on." Lucy wondered.

"The Spirit King is bending the space and time for you." Loke chuckled. "And you signed the contract so you're almost like one of us."

"I can't come and go on my own, though."

"Only I can." Leo said with a smirk.

"Yes, yes, the all powerful Zodiac leader." Lucy rolled her eyes playfully. "Who's stronger? You or the thirteenth gate, Ophiuchus?"

"Ophiuchus." Leo sighed in dismay. She laughed, covering her mouth with her free hand. "The hidden darkness of the Zodiacs."

"I see." Lucy said, trying to smother her laughs at his disheartened expression. "Cheer up, you're strong in your own way."

"We're here." Loke said, the discussion about power finished.

"Where's Capricorn?" Lucy asked as she and Leo sat down in the middle of the open space. The planets and stars shined around them.

"You can get started without him." Loke said, taking the same cross-legged position as his owner. "Concentrate. Close your eyes and slowly release your power." Lucy nodded, putting her hands on her knees.

Lucy summoned a little of her magic, steadily controlling the release around her. Her magic circled her, buffing up a slight wind. She felt her power straining at the slow release. Lucy endured it, strengthening her magic. She kept this up for the next few minutes, feeling that her magic storage fill up just as fast as she was using it.

"Good, Lucy-sama." Capricorn praised as he walked up to them. "Now try to build up your magic, feel it become stronger without releasing too much too quickly." The wind around them became a little fiercer. "Keep the steady flow."

Before Lucy knew it, the wind around them was as strong a thunderstorm, but it didn't put any strain on her body. The raw magic crackled in the air. She kept her eyes closed, still concentrating on the flow of magic leaving her body. After a while longer, her magic reserves were running low, pushing Lucy to try to stretch out the amount of power left as much as she could while maintaining a strong outflow. Sweat started to run down the side of her face.

"Damn." Loke hissed softly, trying not to break Lucy's concentration as he and Capricorn held onto the ground. The area around them would have been decimated if anything were there.

When Capricorn felt that Lucy was at her breaking point and her magic was seconds away from running out, he called Lucy to a stop. The ferocious winds instantly stopped, leaving sparkling specs of magic in the air. The Celestial mage panted lightly.

"Two hours of steady large magic output. You did well, Lucy-sama." Capricorn commended.

"Two hours?" Lucy asked, surprised. While she was concentrating, she didn't have any sense of time.

"You have more magic than I thought you did." Loke said, ruffling his hair back in place. "Let's get you some dinner and a place to sleep for tonight."

"Where?" Lucy asked, catching her breath. "Is there a hotel here? I didn't think you guys would get visitors."

"Of course we don't." Loke chuckled, getting up and offering her a hand. She took it gratefully, getting lifted off the ground. "You can stay at my place." Leo said with a smirk.

"I think Princess should stay with me, Big Brother."

The group looked over and saw Virgo standing on the stone pathway, waiting to escort them.

"Fine." Leo sighed, leading the group to Virgo. "How long have you been standing there?"

"About half an hour. I came to look for you when you, Princess, and Capricorn didn't show up at the village at the appointed time." Virgo answered emotionlessly.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Capricorn answered.

"Thanks, Virgo." Lucy said in appreciation.

When the group eventually made it to Zodiac Village, they all split up to their respective homes with Lucy following Virgo. The Spirit of the Maiden switched on a light, revealing less than normal house decorations. On the walls were various tools used to restrain people. A table that had metal cuffs attached to it sat in the middle of the room and a bookshelf that was filled with literature about torture stood to the side of the room. The Celestial Spirit mage blinked. She was shocked that she was actually surprised.

"I have laid out a set of clothing for you in the spare room, Princess." Virgo said, not even bothered by her 'decorations.' "Make yourself at home. I shall have dinner ready when you finish showering."

"Thanks, again, Virgo." Lucy said, giving her spirit a squeeze on her shoulder. The Maiden Spirit led her up the stairs, pointing to the spare room. Once Lucy was inside and the door was closed, she sighed. "If it were anyone other than Virgo, I would be scared to death right about now."


	13. Day Two

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Day Two

* * *

"Princess, it's time to wake up."

Lucy moaned as the woman's voice rang in her ear.

"Princess?"

"Five more minutes." Lucy mumbled, turning over so her back faced the intruder.

"Should I be punished?"

"No." Lucy replied automatically. The Celestial mage gasped, suddenly sitting up with wide eyes. Lucy looked around, realizing that she really was in the Celestial World.

"Something wrong, princess?" Virgo asked with her hands clutched in front of her.

"Uh… no." Lucy replied, getting her bearings.

"I have prepared some breakfast for you." Virgo said, still in a monotone voice. "You should eat before going to meditate with big brother and Capricorn."

"Meditate? Again?" Lucy asked, shifting to get out of bed.

"You need to increase and strengthen your magic as much as possible, princess."

"All right."

"I have also prepared a set of clothes for you in the bathroom. I shall be downstairs if you need anything." With that, Virgo bowed slightly and walked out of the room. The Celestial mage smiled and combed a hand through her mused hair. She'd have to thank Virgo for all of her help later.

* * *

"That's enough, Lucy-sama." Capricorn said. The winds around the group stopped. "You will need your magic for your training today."

"I'll need it but you still make me do this for an hour." Lucy sighed, feeling less winded than she did the day before.

"You're getting stronger." Loke pointed out.

"Why are you here? Not that I mind, but still…" Lucy asked, trailing off.

"I'm here to guide you through everything." The Lion Spirit replied.

"You seem like a chaperone to me." The Celestial mage pointed out. Loke laughed.

"Well, come on, we need to get to your next lesson, student." Leo said, playing the role.

"Yes, teacher." Lucy replied sarcastically, getting up from her seated position. "Thanks, Capricorn. I assume we'll be doing this later?"

"No, Lucy-sama." Capricorn said, bowing slightly. "You will be using much of your magic today."

"Oh, I see." Lucy said. "I'll see you back at Zodiac Village then."

"Yes, I will see you then, Lucy-sama." Capricorn answered.

"Bye!" The Celestial mage called, following Loke to the stone pathway. "Where to now?"

"Crux should have already brought all of the spell books to the meeting area." Leo informed. "We'll be going there."

"Meeting area?"

"The circular platform you're always at when you visit us."

"I see." Lucy said with a nod. "Is Crux my teacher again?"

"Just me and the king."

"Wh-what?" Lucy gasped. "The Spirit King is going to teach me?"

"He'll be teaching you how to become a caster type wizard." Loke said with a shrug. "These are hard spells to use."

"This is going to be another long day."

"You'll be spending the rest of the day doing this." Leo sighed with her, worried for her health. "Good thing these spells are activated easier here in the Celestial World."

"They are?" Lucy asked in wonder.

"Of course. So you'll master them faster here. And when you go back to Earth Land, you'll be able to activate them, but you'll have to get use to the extra pull on your magic."

"In other words, they'll use up more magic at home." Lucy sighed in disappointment. "Now I see why we're increasing my power so much so quickly."

"Don't look so down. You're doing great." He reassured.

"Oh no, we're here." Lucy moaned in dismay at seeing the platform a few yards ahead of them.

"You'll be fine." Loke urged her forward with a hand on her back.

"I couldn't even write the spell in the air yesterday." Lucy reminded.

"You'll learn how to, today."

"I barely memorized the spells."

"The books are here."

"This is going to go very wrong." Lucy argued.

"The Spirit King will stop any haywire spell." Loke countered again.

"The spell is going to literally blow up in my face."

"Probably."

"What?!" Lucy yelled.

* * *

"Did you see that? Ha-ha that was hilarious!" A woman with long and wavy deep ruby hair said loudly in amusement as she stared at a projection of Lucy Heartfilia, Leo, and the Spirit King. "Leo's spell blew up right in front of her! I guess she can't handle the magic yet."

"You shouldn't be laughing at our new master." A meek girl with short black hair said quietly.

"Well excuse me for having a little entertainment. It's not like we get to see this often." The ruby haired woman said with a wave of her hand. "I'm sure she'll get it eventually, but watching her try is hysterical!"

"You do this every time we get a new master." A man with medium length white hair that covered his left eye butts in.

"And it's still entertaining every time." The redhead said with a giggle. "Why don't you join me, love?"

"I'll pass. Our new master is trying her best, I'll see the results of her hard work when she summons us and the spells in her homeland." The man said.

"I know she's trying her best, but it's still fun to see the struggle." The woman replied with a smirk.

"You sound very harsh." The girl with black hair piped up. "She's a good owner. All of the contracted spirits that are bonded to her can feel her emotions."

"Which only happens when they have a good bond with each other and trust each other. I know." The redhead sighed. "I'm not saying she's a bad person."

"You're entertaining yourself while also watching how she fares compared to our last owner." The man said.

"Exactly." The redhead sighed again. "Look, she's not doing much better. The spell just blew up again."

"It's only her first few tries." The man defended. "But I suppose you're right. The harder these are for her, the harder our job becomes."

"I heard that she and Leo could do telepathy." The meek girl cut in. "If she can manage that, I'm sure our job isn't going to be any more difficult."

"Her and Leo have a 'special' contract. He has to obey all her commands, no questions asked, and he get's no day offs. Leo has to defend her with his life and, even if they aren't close, feels when she's in danger and can use telepathy with her." The ruby haired woman scoffed but then gave a tender smile. "But she has guts for going up against our king like that."

"It is his debt to her." The man stated.

"But Leo said that they were close anyways." The black hair girl added shyly. "He didn't need a contract to make him do anything because he'd do it in a heartbeat."

"We lucked out, then." The woman said, turning back to the monitor. "Ha! She's never going to be able to get the spell if she doesn't control her magic output."

* * *

"Maybe we should take a break." Loke sighed.

"I'm sorry." Lucy said softly.

"Don't say that, you have nothing to apologize for." The Lion Spirit reassured. "Let's get some lunch and have Virgo patch you up."

"What's the point, it's going to blow up again." Lucy sighed, but consented as he gently lifted her up to her feet.

"Old friend, you're doing well." The Spirit King said as he stood over them. "It is difficult to become a caster wizard after mastering a holder type magic."

"See?" Loke said. "Now come on, let's get you some food and let your magic recover."

"Be back in an hour." The Spirit King commanded. "The day is still young."

"Yes, sir." Lucy and Loke said together.

Soon after, the two found themselves back at Zodiac Village. All of the Zodiac Spirits were out in the town square, watching the monitor before turning to them. Lucy's face flamed red in embarrassment. She didn't realize they were all watching her miserably fail to activate Leo's spell for the past few hours. At least she can now use her magic to write, which was little consolation.

"Why'd you guys watch?" Lucy said in dismay.

"To watch you make a fool of yourself." Aquarius said with a smirk. Lucy sighed once again.

"Piri, Piri," Gemi and Mini said, floating to their owner.

"You did fine," Gemi said.

"It's hard at first." Mini added. Lucy gave them a strained grateful smile.

"I'm sorry. Capricorn and I have prepared a special lunch." Aries piped in. "Please go to Capricorn's home."

"Special lunch?" Lucy questioned, but followed. All the other spirits, including the ones she didn't have the key for, came along as well.

"It is specially fortified to keep your energy and magic levels high." Capricorn informed with a slight bow.

"I see. I'll need that, thanks." Lucy replied, sitting down where Capricorn pulled out a chair for her. The rest of the spirits sat down along the large dining table. "It's like a dinner party."

"Of course." Loke said, sitting next to her with a grin. "To celebrate you taking your first steps and to get to know you better."

"Thanks?" Lucy said with uncertainty. She saw Pisces in their secondary form to fit in the house, however Ophiuchus was missing. Lucy decided to ask the table.

"Ophiuchus isn't much for socializing." Leo said. "Don't be bothered by it. Ophiuchus will warm up to you."

"Too bad you don't own the thirteenth gate. That spell is awesome." Pisces, the son, said.

"In a frightening way, yes." Pisces, the mother, agreed. "Pure darkness."

"I'll make due." Lucy said, smiling gently. "But it sure would've been fun scaring people."

"Right?" The son fish of Pisces exclaimed excitedly.

"Princess." Virgo said as she appeared in front of Lucy with a first aid kit. "Let me heal your wounds."

"Thanks, Virgo." Lucy said, holding out her arms, which were riddled with cuts from her failed spell exploding at her. When Virgo was done wrapping Lucy's arms, she put a Band-Aid on her owner's cheek, a graze in which the Celestial mage didn't realize she had.

"Here, Lucy-sama." Capricorn said as he set a delicious looking plate in front of her. "Quinoa, avocado, tomato, and spinach power salad for a starter."

"Wow," Lucy said in awe. "It's like I'm getting a full course meal here."

"Of course, we're trying to keep you healthy." Scorpio said with a deep chuckle. "Don't need you exhausting yourself."

"I feel like I'm getting treated like a princess." Lucy jested, sending Capricorn a grateful smile as he and Aries put plates in front of everyone else.

"You are our princess, Lucy, so of course we'd treat you like one." Loke said, giving her a flirtatious grin. The Celestial mage blushed hotly again.

"Don't let it go to your head." Aquarius scolded lightly.

"Are you always so crass with your owner?" Libra questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't mind Aquarius. We've been together for a long time." Lucy cut in with playful smile.

When everyone had gotten their plates, they dug in with gusto. Lucy conversed lightly through the appetizer, hoping the spirits felt comfortable around her. Loke made sure she ate every bite of the food prepared even when the blonde wanted to save room for the actual meal.

"We've prepared creamy chicken rice casserole. I hope you'll like it, I'm sorry." Aries said, scurrying to prepare plates of the meal while Capricorn cleaned up the first plates.

"Sounds yummy." Lucy said, nearly drooling.

"Slow burning carbs so you stay full for longer, princess." Virgo informed. "With nutritional brown rice and garbanzo beans."

"Were you cooking, too?" The Celestial wizard asked.

"I looked up the recipe, princess." Virgo said with a straight face.

"Thank you, then." Lucy replied with a giggle. "Can I help clean up afterwards?"

"Did you forget? The king said to be back within an hour." Loke reminded, knocking on her head softly as if to thump her memory back in place.

"I feel bad for eating and not helping out." Lucy grumbled.

"Moo! Do not worry, you and your nice body will be treated like royalty." Taurus exclaimed.

"You don't need to treat me like that." Lucy informed.

"As long as you're our guest, you shall be treated like a lady, thus, hello." Sagittarius said, saluting to the ceiling.

"I'm sorry," Aries said, putting down a hot plate in front of the blonde. "Sagittarius is correct. You've been so kind to us."

"You should stop arguing." Loke commented. Lucy sighed in defeat.

With that, the light conversation continued. The Celestial Spirits got to know the Wizard better and vise versa. The ever-protective lion force-fed his owner until she wanted to puke the delicious meal back up. His reasoning: more food meant more energy. In reality, Lucy just felt like sleeping until her digestive process wasn't straining to digest all of the food.

"Would you like your hair styled for training, shrimp?" Cancer asked, snipping his scissors.

"Sure, Cancer." Lucy said, moving slowly to his side. "Make it so it'll give me luck in getting at least one spell down today."

"You'll get all of them today." Leo informed.

"I will?" Lucy gasped.

"Yes, you will. You have much more to train for." Loke said, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Is this punishment?" Lucy cried softly. Learn and perform all of the spells in one day? Ten Zodiac spells, ten Beast spells, and five minor Silver key spells. She had one day to activate twenty-five spells. Lucy hoped her magic holds up. She couldn't even get one spell to activate correctly yet.

"Would you like punishment, princess?" Virgo asked.

"No thanks." Lucy sighed.

* * *

"Yo, how's our trooper doing?" A man with slightly tanned skin and sapphire blue eyes asked as he walked up to five men watching the monitor in the town square. The five men, with identical faces, turned to the intruder.

"Eating, it seems. Looks like Leo is going to make her explode though." One of the identical men said with a chuckle. This one had his black hair in a long ponytail.

"That girl is small, she'll need to build some muscle." Another identical sibling said, agreeing with the Lion Spirit. The second one had short, choppy black hair.

"She has a perfect figure, Leo doesn't need to try to do anything to it." The third sibling, with a close shaved head, argued.

"Her body will be under intensive training. Best she stock up on nutrients." The fourth sibling said – he has medium length hair that easily flopped about.

"Lucy Heartfilia. Hope you're as good of an owner as those Zodiacs say you are." The fifth man with the identical face said, staring at the Celestial wizard's face as she cringed at the amount of food given to her. The last sibling had black hair that was just long enough to pull back into a very short rat-tail.

"Yo, dudes, there is no way that her body won't stay smoking hot." The man with sapphire eyes argued playfully. "If the Zodiacs like her, I'm sure we will too, yo."

"If you say so." Sibling number three said with a shrug. "We still have a little more time before being at her beck and call."

"It'll be fun. We haven't had a good fight in a long time, besides, I've heard Earth Land has changed a lot." Sibling number one reassured.

"Maybe we should start warming up?" Sibling number four suggested with a grin.

"Yo, men, cool it down." Sapphire eyes cut in. "We'll have plenty of warming up time when her training progresses that far."

"Oh yes, to be able to collide bodies with our little owner." Sibling two said dreamily.

"That… sounds bad in so many ways." Sibling five said uneasily.

* * *

"I did it!" Lucy yelled excitedly as she jumped around, giving Loke a big hug. "I did it!"

"You did." Leo agreed with a laugh, wrapping his arms around her. He would never give up the opportunity to touch her succulent body.

"We should work on aim, old friend." The Spirit King said as he saw the charred target ring. It was only damaged on the side, however.

"Who cares about aim? I got it to activate and control it!" Lucy said, still gleeful about her success.

"Let's activate the spell again." The King suggested. "Do it a few more times until you become comfortable." The Celestial mage nodded, letting go of Leo and standing firmly.

Lucy activated the spell another ten times. Since a celestial spell did not require much magic when she was in the Celestial World, Lucy could keep doing spells with minimal strain on her magic. Once she got that one spell activated correctly, Lucy worked on the aim and how to move the magic to certain parts of her body, like her fist or foot. Then She worked on the speed in which she could activate it. Leo's spell took up a majority of the day, unfortunately, and she still had twenty-four more to go.

"Well, at least you have mine down and ready to go." Loke joked, patting the blonde on the shoulder.

"Let me rest for ten minutes to recover some magic." Lucy begged, sitting on the floor and falling to her back.

"Yes, a break is an excellent idea." The Spirit King agreed.

"You sit and rest, I need to talk to Virgo and Sagittarius." Leo said, standing above her.

"Virgo and Sagittarius?" Lucy questioned.

"It's something that'll come in handy in the future." Loke said vaguely. "Sort of a present. Besides, you'll need it to learn a new magic we'll be teaching you tomorrow."

"Another magic?" Lucy asked, wide eyed. She could barely manage one spell. The Lion Spirit laughed.

"Don't worry, you're only going to need an intermediate level of mastering the other magic." Loke reassured.

"That's not comforting at all." Lucy groaned, putting her arms over her eyes. "I'll try, but no guarantees."

"Don't you worry your pretty little head, princess," Loke chuckled. "Capricorn has made a schedule that is suited for your magic level and intelligence. It also fits our time frame."

"Time frame?" Lucy asked.

"We have a certain time limit in which you can learn and perform everything, old friend." The Spirit King said. "And like Leo said, there is no need to worry. You'll be getting nutritious meals and enough sleep everyday."

"All right." Lucy sighed, trying to relax her body.

"I'll be back in a little while. Don't miss me too much." Loke said with a wink that his owner didn't even see.

"Same ole Loke." Lucy sighed in disappointment. Leo chuckled, leaving the circular platform.

"All right, get up, old friend. Let's perform Leo's spell again." The Spirit King said, motioning for the girl to get up.

"Already?" Lucy sighed, but got up nonetheless. She stretched her muscles for a few seconds before putting her writing hand in front of her. Lucy's index finger glowed a faint yellow with magic. She dragged her finger to draw Leo's constellation, starting from the head of the lion. Her magic left yellow lines in the air, leaving the finished product about a foot wide. "Leonis." Lucy chanted. The drawn constellation glowed brightly before disappearing. Her right eye changed from a warm brown to a bright golden color.

* * *

"Lucy-nee finally mastered a spell." A young girl with pointed ears on her head said as she played hopscotch on the stone ground.

"Twenty-four more spells to go." A woman with sharp green eyes said passively.

"And then when she gets the others, she has more to learn!" The young girl exclaimed excitedly. The elder woman stayed quiet. "Sis', has the list been made yet?"

"I'm not sure, little one." The woman said, patting the girl on the head to calm the young girl's enthusiasm.

"I can't wait to visit Fiore again! It was so much fun last time!" The woman, again, didn't respond. "And we get to spend the whole day with Lucy-nee while we're there."

"Don't forget to do your job."

"I won't, don't worry!" The girl said with a cheeky smile, showing off small fangs.

* * *

"Very good, old friend." The Spirit King said as he witnessed Lucy perform another caster spell.

"They're coming to me easier now that I know how to control magic output." The Celestial mage sighed in relief.

"Use Sagittarius's spell once more. It looks like you had trouble controlling it."

"Yeah, a little." Lucy admitted as she started to draw out the Sagittarius constellation.

"You've made a lot of progress." Loke cut in as he walked into the stone platform.

"You're back." She greeted, losing concentration, thus the drawing disappeared.

"Later this evening we have to make a trip." Leo informed. Lucy cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"Where to?"

"Back to Earth Land. We need some materials." Loke said vaguely. "Hurry and master the Zodiac spells, you still need to learn the Beast spells."

"Oh, right." Lucy gasped, redrawing the constellation.

"Has she performed all of the Zodiac spells yet?" Loke asked the king.

"She has. Still needs some fine tuning." The Spirit King responded as he watched Sagittarius's spell zip across the platform.

"I had a little more control of it this time." Lucy said, looking up at the Spirit King for more instructions.

"Perform each spell once more in rapid succession. It doesn't matter what order you go in, old friend." The King ordered kindly. The Celestial mage nodded, starting with Aquarius' spell.

"I need my gate to open in the area we are to get the raw materials." Loke said, standing away from Lucy's firing range.

"Will you be taking our old friend with you?" The King questioned.

"Preferably. I'm sure she misses it over there." Loke answered.

"I can hear you." Lucy mumbled while drawing the second constellation, Aries.

"Easily done, Leo." The Spirit King said, nodding with his arms crossed.

"Great." Loke said, watching Aries' spell activate in front of him. Lucy rolled her eyes, dispelling Aries' spell to start Cancer's.

Seven spells later, Lucy wasn't even breathing hard. Grandpa Crux came at that time, bringing over the spell books for the Beast Keys. The blonde carefully looked over the ten constellations to the keys she recently received. Slowly, Lucy traced one of the constellations in the air. The spell activated, however it took too long to draw the constellation in the King's opinion. Lucy laughed nervously, trying quickly to memorize the rest of the constellations.

Grandpa Crux gave some helpful tips on how to remember each one. The Spirit of the Southern Cross even tested her by drawing out a constellation and having her name it or vice versa. Lucy gave the three a dry look. What was this, an exam at school?

* * *

…A little later…

* * *

"Some of these spells are certainly unique!" Lucy yelled over the roar of thunder and heavy rain.

"Deactivate it!" Loke yelled at her as he held onto Grandpa Crux so the floating spirit didn't get blown away. The Celestial mage quickly shut it off, leaving everyone wet and wind blown.

"Perfect execution, old friend." The Spirit King congratulated. "Try the next one."

* * *

…

* * *

"Eep! Put that away, Loke!" Lucy cried in dismay as she quickly turned around, her face flaming red.

"It is put away!" Loke yelled back, also, surprisingly, blushing. "It's your fault for using me as a test subject!"

* * *

…

* * *

"Do I have to be a test subject for _this_?" Loke asked nervously, standing on the edge of circular platform, facing towards the starry sky. The Lion Spirit's eyes were glazed over. The Spirit King and Crux smiled while Lucy giggled evilly. She manipulated the spell slightly. "Whoa! Look at all these women! How'd they get here?"

"He-he-he." Lucy laughed lowly, manipulating the spell once more.

"AH! Why did they transform into naked Grays?!" Loke yelled. "Lucy! Turn it off!"

"Good, old friend, that's exactly how you use that spell." The King praised with a chuckle.

"Whoa," Leo said with a hard swallow as he looked down once the spell was lifted. Endless abyss was in front of him, one more step and he would've fallen.

"Sorry, are you okay?" Lucy asked, hiding her amusement. The blonde took the Lion Spirit's arm and pulled him towards the middle of the platform.

"Say, Lucy," Leo said questioningly.

"Hm?" Lucy hummed, letting go of his arm.

"How often do you see Gray completely naked to get that much detail?" Loke asked. It was Lucy's turn to blush hotly.

"It's not my fault he gets naked all the time!" Lucy defended.

* * *

…Evening…

* * *

"Finally," Lucy sighed in relief, falling to her knees. She had memorized and performed every Beast Key spell and then activated every single spell from top to bottom of the list, Zodiac and Silver Key spells included.

"Just in time," Loke said, crossing his arms. "The others just got dinner on the table and are waiting for us."

"Good job today, old friend. The more you work on them, the easier it'll get, even on Earth Land." The Spirit King commended. "Leo will be in charge of further training from this point on."

"Thank you, Spirit King." Lucy acknowledged, getting to her feet. "Thank you, too, Grandpa Crux."

"My pleasure." The Spirit of the Southern Cross answered.

"We'll see you later. I must get princess some nutrition before she passes out." Loke said, pushing Lucy towards the stone pathway.

"Bye!" Lucy called out as she was pushed towards Zodiac Village.

Once there, Loke led her towards Capricorn's house once again. Like he said, the other Zodiacs were already sitting around the large dining table with steaming bowls of soup in front of them.

"Finally," Aquarius sighed. "I was about to starve to death."

"Sorry," Lucy apologized sheepishly. "I didn't know you guys were waiting on me."

"Don't worry about it, Lucy-sama." Capricorn said, pulling out a chair. "Have a seat."

"Thank you." Lucy said gratefully, sitting down. Loke sat in the empty seat to her right and Capricorn to her left. "Let's eat!"

* * *

"The list is completed." A man with red eyes said in a serious voice as he stood in the middle of the Beast Village's town square. "This list will be posted on the hologram screen by tomorrow morning."

"We still have a lot of time left until she finishes her training." A woman with medium brown hair said nonchalantly.

"Right." The man with red eyes agreed. "However, each of us get three Earth Land days every one Earth Land month since there are only ten of us so far. Best to be prepared. Remember, our time is different than theirs."

* * *

"That dinner was great, as usual, Capricorn." Lucy complimented.

"I appreciate your kind words, Lucy-sama." Capricorn said gratefully, bowing slightly.

"Princess," Virgo said. "You will be staying with me another night."

"Okay," Lucy agreed, beginning to walk towards the Spirit of the Maiden.

"First," Loke butt in, tugging his owner's arm. "We have an errand."

"Errand?" The Celestial mage questioned.

"We have to go pick up some raw materials." Loke reminded.

"Right, where?" Lucy asked, letting Leo hold onto her wrist.

"Fiore. A place on the western edge of the country." Loke informed. "We'll be back soon, Virgo. I'll drop her off at your place."

"Have a safe journey, big brother, princess." Virgo said.

"Ready?" Loke asked, looking at the blonde.

"Sure," Lucy said, not sure what she should be preparing for. The Celestial mage felt Loke pull her with his magic. The blonde looked around, seeing a golden gate open. She blinked once and found herself staring at a bright blue sky. "Whoa,"

"That's what it's like to pass through our gates." Loke said with a chuckle. He looked around. "If you find any iron ore around here, pick it up. This place is supposed to be riddled with it."

"It's freezing here." Lucy said, shivering as she hugged herself. "It's supposed to be the end of July, why is it so cold?"

"Actually…" Loke trailed off. "It's the end of January."

Lucy stared at the Celestial Spirit blankly before yelling, "What!?"

"Not so loud." Loke hushed, hearing her voice echo in the canyon-like environment.

"Crap! I can't believe I forgot that the Celestial World ran at a different time!" Lucy said frantically, holding her head in panic. "Wait… Did you say end of January?! It has been six months here!"

"Calm down…"

"Don't try to calm me down!" Lucy yelled, but took a deep breath anyways. "The guild must be so worried. What if they think I'm dead? What if they made me a grave already? What if they're being reckless while trying to find me?!" She was becoming hysterical again.

"It's okay," Loke hushed, putting his arms around her. "When you return, everything will be okay. Like when Lisanna returned."

"But… I don't want them to worry or be sad." Lucy whispered into his chest. "Maybe we should go visit or send word?"

"It'll be too complicated." Loke sighed, letting her go. "It's easier if you stay gone until your training is done and then come back to explain everything you can without breaking the contract."

"Sending word won't take long."

"It has already been six months." He tried to reason. "Please, for us, stay away just until your training is complete. Knowing Natsu and the other's they'll just distract you or try to help in a way that will hinder you."

"I'll be distracted anyways thinking about how they're feeling."

"Once you're back, everyone will be just as you remember, I promise." Loke said, touching her cheek gently in comfort. Lucy stayed silent, thinking.

"Fine…" She relented. "I know how important this is for you guys. It's life and death, really."

"Exactly," Loke sighed in relief. His owner is a wonderful woman. "Just a little longer, I promise."

"I'm not happy about it." Lucy grumbled.

"I know. I'm not happy knowing that I'm purposefully making our guild suffer like this either. But what choice do I have? It was the King's order."

"He told you to stay quiet about it?" Lucy asked.

"Of course. Until your training is complete, it's dangerous for other's to know what keys you now own."

"Is it because it'll be easier to kill me?"

"And it'll be easier to take hostages when you're off training."

"So keep mum about it." Lucy sighed, though she now agreed. She didn't want her friends to be taken captive.

"Come on, we came here to look for iron ore." Loke said gently, looking around and started to walk.

"What does it look like? I'll help." Lucy offered as she followed him.

"Kind of like a shiny rock."

Lucy looked around, suddenly dashing off to the side and splashing into a small puddle.

"Like this?" She asked with a grin while holding up a tiny rock that glittered in the sunlight.

"Not quite," Loke chuckled, enjoying her more childish behavior. He admired that she was trying to cheer up.

"Can I keep it anyways?" Lucy asked, walking back to him.

"I don't see why not." He shrugged. "Here, this is what we're looking for."

"Oh," Lucy said. Her rock seemed very different than these rocks. The Celestial Spirit picked up a dozen, putting them into a sack he pulled out of his pocket.

How did that fit in his pocket? Lucy wondered.

"This should do it." Loke said, hefting up the bag. "Let's head back and give it to Sagittarius."

"Why Sagittarius?" Lucy asked as Loke transported them back into the Celestial Realm.

"He can transform raw iron ore into iron and then shape it." Loke informed.

"He can? Wow," She said in awe.

"It's a hobby of his."

The two of them walked to Sagittarius's home and knocked.

"Ah, Lucy, Leo, good evening, thus hello." Sagittarius said, saluting to them.

"This is the iron ore we collected," Loke said, handing over the sack.

"I'll have it ready by the next afternoon." The Archer Spirit said.

"Thanks, Sagittarius!" Lucy said cheerfully. "But that soon?"

"The night is still young," Sagittarius answered.

"It is?" Lucy questioned, looking to Loke for an answer.

"You probably didn't realize, but the Celestial World day is about thirty-four hours."

"That's why I felt like I was training for a long time." Lucy muttered to herself.

"Anyways, Sagittarius, thanks a lot." Leo said gratefully. "I need to drop her off at Virgo's."

"Of course, good night. Thus, hello." Sagittarius said, closing the door.

"Good night." Lucy said, leaving with the Lion Spirit.

"You should get some rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow." Loke informed.

"When do we not?" She sighed.


	14. Training

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: Training

* * *

"Princess, it is time to wake up." Virgo said, lightly shaking Lucy's shoulder.

"All right," Lucy mumbled, not opening her eyes.

"Princess?"

"Yep," Lucy said softly, abruptly sitting up. "I'm going." Waking up early is going to be a reoccurring thing, might as well get use to it.

* * *

"Rise and shine, my bride. We have another errand to run." Loke said cheerfully, meeting the Celestial wizard in front of Virgo's house.

"Where to now?" Lucy asked, a piece of toast hanging from her mouth as she struggled to put on a dark red leather jacket that Virgo handed to her. Lucy's outfit today was black skinny jeans, sports bra, fingerless gloves, and combat boots. Her hair was in a high ponytail.

"Back where we were yesterday. Sagittarius needs more iron." Loke informed.

"So that's why you gave me a jacket," Lucy said to the Maiden Spirit.

"That's correct, princess." Virgo answered. "Have a good day."

"Thanks, Virgo!" Lucy said, jogging up to Loke, the toast now in her hands.

"Ready?" The Lion Spirit asked. She nodded.

In a flash, the two of them were back in the canyon-like area. Knowing what they're looking for, they split up and gathered as much iron ore as they could carry in their arms.

"Is this enough?" Lucy asked.

"Perfect. Let's go back." Loke said, transporting them back. "After this, you're going to be meditating with Capricorn again."

"Okay."

"No complaints this morning?" Loke joked, knocking on Sagittarius's door.

"I'm getting use to this." Lucy answered, smiling a good morning to the Archer Spirit.

* * *

"Hey, guys, come here!" Cana yelled suddenly, getting the attention of not only the group by the bar, but also most of the other guild members.

"Did something happen?" Happy asked, flying over to the Card mage quickly.

"It changed." Cana said simply, motioning towards the cards she laid out on the table.

"What were you looking for?" Erza asked.

"When I did this for Lucy's well being, nothing changed at all. The Star and Temperance card still showed up. But when I did one for Lucy's location," Cana said, pausing to look at the cards again. "This happened."

"What does it mean?" Natsu asked, impatient to get information.

"She's moving," Cana said. "And still is. My cards are pulling at my magic to do it over because this fortune isn't correct anymore."

"How many times have you done it?" Lily asked.

"If I do it once more, it would be the third." Cana informed.

"Well do it again," Natsu insisted. The Card mage shuffled the cards with precision and haste, placing them in a certain order once again.

"Any movement, Cana?" Erza asked when the brunette finished.

"No, she went back to wherever the Star and Temperance cards are pointing to." Cana sighed, putting her head in her hands. "We missed her definite location by just a few minutes."

"Where was her definite location before?" Erza asked.

"The cards showed me iron. That would probably be the iron mining place Gajeel just returned from." Cana answered.

"She went back?" Wendy asked.

"Seems like it." The Card mage said.

Natsu pounded his fist into the table, growling in anger.

"Natsu," Erza said softly, trying to pacify the Fire Dragon Slayer's anger.

"I'm going." Natsu huffed, walking away towards the map under Lucy's picture once again.

"I told you, Salamander, it'll take at least a week to get to the other side of the country." Gajeel informed roughly. "By the looks of things, you already missed her."

"I don't care." Natsu said in an unwavering voice as he memorized the name of the iron-mining town. "Happy, are you coming?"

"Natsu-san, we just got back." Wendy reminded, jogging over to stop the overly ambitious Fire Dragon Slayer. "Maybe you should rest?"

"Move, Wendy." Natsu said in a whisper. The young girl stood in his path defiantly.

"Our last mission was tough, you should gather your strength." Wendy insisted worriedly.

"I'll get it when travelling over there." Natsu said just as softly as his whisper. If there was anyone he didn't want to lash his angry at, it was Wendy Marvell.

"You'll feel ill and you know it, Natsu-san." Wendy argued next.

"Please, Wendy." Natsu murmured so low that only the Dragon Slayers could hear. "I just need to smell her scent, just once. I want to know if she's okay. I _need_ to know."

"It'll take a week to get there, are you sure her scent won't be gone by then?"

"You heard Gajeel earlier, no one is mining the place yet. If I hurry, maybe her scent will still be on the ground." Natsu pleaded. "Wendy, I'm not going to fight you, so please move." The Sky Dragon Slayer stared at her idol for another second before stepping away.

"Be careful on your journey." Wendy whispered back. "You're still tired from our mission." Natsu gave her a grateful smile and bolted out of the guild, his backpack still on his shoulders.

"Natsu!" Happy called, flying after his partner out of the guild doors.

"What was that about?" Gray asked.

"Why'd you let that ruffian go? You know he's going to be just as reckless as he was during our job." Charle complained.

"It's a Dragon Slayer thing." Wendy answered with a sweet smile. "He'll be all right."

"Tch," Gajeel scoffed, crossing his arms. Then the Iron Dragon Slayer smirked. "You'd make your dragon proud, Salamander."

* * *

…One Week Later…February 4, X792…

* * *

The lights in Fairy Tail's guildhall turned off, leaving a spotlight on the stage. The members of the guild stopped their chatter and turned their attention to Master Makarov as he stood on the stage, Mirajane next to him with a piece of paper in hand. The Master looked around, silently counting his children. He then nodded.

"Good, the majority of you are here today." Makarov said into the floating microphone.

"What's going on?" Gray whispered to Erza, who sat at the same table.

"I don't know." The Re-quip mage replied, keeping her eyes on the stage.

"As you know, it is almost that time of year again." The Fairy Tail Master said. All of the guild members gave a confused face. Did the Master mean Valentine's Day?

"Here, Master." Mirajane said, handing him the piece of paper.

"Thank you, my dear." Makarov said, clearing his throat. "The Grand Magic Games start in five months. The royal capital has already sent us the procedures of what is required of our members if we choose to participate."

"Are we participating?" Levy asked. "Last year became kind of nerve wracking."

"As the strongest guild in Fiore, we will participate to keep our title. We are Fairy Tail, and we will win this for the cash prize-" The master coughed. "I mean we will win this to uphold our standing! Fairy Tail will never stop!" The guild cheered together. The noise from inside the building was heard outside, scaring those who walked pass.

"This year, only one team of five is allowed to participate." Mirajane said as the noise level died down. "Plus, we will have standby members for any injuries and such."

"Jellal's not going to be in it this year, is he? His battle was a disaster." Cana said, laughing loudly. Erza shook her head and looked down in displeasure.

"With the Eclipse Gate destroyed, it is doubtful he would need to get close to the participants like last year." Master Makarov answered, also shaking his head in disappointment at the former Wizard Saint's performance last year. "Mira-chan and I have decided who will be on the main team and on standby."

"However, everyone, the standby wizards can be changed and or substituted." Mira added. "It doesn't require a finalized roster."

"Those who are chosen today will have the next few months to train to the extreme." Makarov said, straightening out the piece of paper. "First, Laxus!"

"All right then." Laxus said in a deep voice, not even flinching.

"Way to go, Laxus." Freed said in admiration.

"Erza!" Makarov yelled next.

"I will do my best." Erza acknowledge with a nod.

"Gajeel!"

"Gee-hee, this will be fun." Gajeel said with a dark chuckle.

"Gray!"

"Great," Gray said with a smirk. "I could use a good battle."

"And Natsu!" The Master said, looking up as he finished the list of main team members.

The guild looked around, realizing that the pink-haired wizard wasn't at the guild.

"He's still out looking for Lucy." Erza informed Makarov.

"You will be in charge of telling him then, Erza." The Master replied.

"Of course." The Re-quip mage said, but looked serious. "If you're putting us to train, what about our search for Lucy, then?"

"I never told you to stop looking." Master answered just as seriously, addressing the whole guild. "We will never stop looking for our lost family member." The guild yelled in agreement. "Taking jobs is a good way to train also."

"You're right." Erza said with a nod and a small smile. "We'll never stop looking."

"Now, our standby members," Makarov exclaimed into the microphone. "Juvia, Wendy, Cana, Elfman, and Mirajane! Get training! We must win the money – I mean we'll show Fiore who still stands on top!"

* * *

"Natsu?" Happy questioned as the Dragon Slayer lied on the ground. "We're here."

"Finally." Natsu groaned, not moving.

"Don't you want to find Lucy's scent before it disappears?"

"Yeah, let's go." Natsu strained to say as he got up on his knees. Perhaps taking a carriage to the mining town was a bad idea.

Some time later, the duo found the path that Gajeel had told them about. Going further into the wilderness, Natsu saw canyon formations in front of them. Farther in the distance, the Dragon Slayer spotted the machines that were used to mine iron ore, which meant that the canyon in front of him was the place that had yet to be mined. This was the spot.

"I don't see anyone, Natsu." Happy said dejectedly as he flew high into the air.

"It's all right, buddy." The Fire Dragon Slayer reassured. Cana had already told them Lucy had moved on from the spot. Natsu just wanted a scent. Something that told him she was okay. Something that told him she would return to them… to him. Natsu's heart beat frantically in excitement and anxiety.

Lucy's scent. A scent Natsu hadn't been able to smell unless he buried his face in her pillow or closet, a scent that had all but vanished from the little apartment on Strawberry Street. Natsu craved to see Lucy once more, but just knowing she was all right would have to be enough for now. Until he found her, she'd have to keep herself safe.

Natsu made it to the bottom of the canyon, quickly putting his nose to the ground. The Fire Dragon Slayer slowly sniffed each inch of the canyon. Suddenly, he ran into a familiar scent trail.

"What is it, Natsu?" Happy asked, flying down when he saw his partner stop in his tracks.

"Loke." Natsu informed.

"You found Loke's scent?" Happy questioned. "Just him?"

"If they were together, Lucy's might still be around here somewhere." Natsu followed the trail one way. The Celestial Spirit's smell led him to one of the walls of the canyon and then back towards the middle where it merged with another scent. "Lucy…"

"You found it?!" Happy said excitedly.

For several moments, Natsu didn't say anything. The Fire Dragon Slayer followed the scent trail to a different canyon wall and then it went back to the spot near where Natsu had first found Loke's scent. He took a few steps back, enjoying Lucy's pure smell. Happy stayed quiet, knowing that this was important for his partner as a Dragon Slayer.

"They were here." Natsu said, getting off his hands and knees to sit on the ground. "I could barely smell their scent, but it's a good thing it stuck to the ground."

"I can't smell them at all." Happy sighed. "Are they okay?"

"I didn't smell any blood. They should be all right." Natsu said, leaning back on his arms and looking at the sky.

"You didn't smell anyone else? Anyone that could've forced them here?"

"No." Natsu answered solemnly. "So what's keeping her from us."

* * *

…February 18, X792…

* * *

"Blumenblatt!"

Natsu moved his eyes to see twenty swords fly towards him from the sky. He quickly grabbed Happy, who was flying in the air, and jumped backwards, doing a backflip to land. The swords embedded themselves into the ground before disappearing.

"What the hell?" The Fire Dragon Slayer growled, looking at the approaching Re-quip mage in her Heaven's Wheel Armor.

"Good to see your reflexes are still sharp." Erza commented.

"What was that for, Erza?" Happy asked, fat tears gathering in his eyes.

"Training." Erza said simply.

"Training?" Natsu repeated.

"We're preparing for the Grand Magic Games." Erza said. "You should be training too."

"I'm on the team?" Natsu questioned before waving a hand and walking towards the guild once more. "Not interested."

"What do you mean, Natsu?" Happy asked. "Usually you would be excited."

"Master chose you." Erza informed.

"I'd much rather spend my time looking for Lucy than participating in the Games." Natsu answered, still walking away. A sword was suddenly standing in his way, pointing at his neck. "What's the deal, Erza? Can't I make my own choices without your threats?"

"We aren't going to stop looking for Lucy." The Re-quip mage said, coming to stand in front of him again. "The others chosen for the team are out doing jobs right now and searching for any clues."

"And what about during the games, huh?" Natsu growled back. Happy frantically looked back and forth. "You want me to watch her die again?"

"Again?" Erza asked, returning her sword to her magic inventory. "Wha-"

"Yeah. Lucy from the future came through that Eclipse gate to warn us about it." Natsu growled louder, cutting her off. "How do you think it makes me feel watching that Lucy risk her life to save our Lucy from future Rogue?"

"I-"

"You don't know, Erza." Natsu interrupted, pushing the stunned Re-quip mage to the side and walking into the guild.

"And how do you think Lucy will feel if she see's you like this?" Erza yelled, her voice going through the doors. "How do you think either of them would feel if they saw you stuck in this perpetual loop?" Natsu stopped walking towards the back.

"Natsu?" Happy whispered from where he was clutched in Natsu's arms.

"It's been seven months, Natsu." Erza said, pushing the doors open. "What kind of person would want their loved ones to be stuck in place while time moves on?" Neither of them noticed that their guild mates became silent.

"You want me to just move on and forget her?" Natsu asked in a rough voice, turning to face the Titania.

"Never forget her. No one will ever forget her." Erza said, getting impatient.

"What do you want from me, Erza?" Natsu yelled back. "Why can't you leave me alone?"

"Because we're worried about you, idiot." Gray cut in, coming through the guild doors with Juvia. "Look, Lucy is fine, lighten up a bit."

"How do you know that?" Natsu asked, his voice back to normal levels.

"Gajeel found her scent weeks ago and Cana has never pulled a death card out." Gray reasoned. "Besides, you came back later than the normal amount of time that it takes to get to the other side of the country. Which means you found her scent, too, right?"

"Barely," Natsu admitted.

"And you're not freaking out, which means she didn't leave a scent that smelled scared or of blood. Lucy is fine." Gray said.

"Did you find Loke-san's scent as well, like Gajeel-kun?" Juvia asked.

"Yeah." Natsu replied with a nod.

"They're together then. Loke won't let anything happen to her." Erza reassured, also calming down.

"She must have a good reason," Makarov said, walking up to the five of them. They looked down to their short Master.

"She isn't the type to leave like that!" Natsu argued.

"I agree." The Master said calmly. "Which brings me back to the good reason."

"But-"

"Just knowing she's alive out there somewhere is a consolation." Makarov cut in.

"What if she's in trouble?" Natsu asked. "What if she needs our help and all we're doing is preparing for the Grand Magic Games?"

"We're not stopping our search." Makarov replied. "We'll find her and help her."

"And wouldn't you want Lucy to see that you've grown stronger?" Gray asked with a smirk. "The Games are televised nationally, maybe she'll see it."

"I'd rather search for her." Natsu scoffed.

"And if she decides to come watch personally?" Gray taunted further. "We're her guild. We're her family and she's ours. There's nothing better than cheering us on while we're in the arena. I know you know that feeling."

"So, Natsu?" Erza asked. "Will you be joining us in the stadium?"

"Juvia believes Lucy-san will be happy to see you still well." Juvia added. "Lucy-san would want Nastu-san to do what he loves."

"Fine!" Natsu growled. "If that's what you think Lucy wants, fine. I'll participate. But just to be clear, you should warn the king that his arena is going to be burnt to ashes."

"I'm sure you have a lot of pent up anger." Erza said, nodding her head as she walked closer to the Fire Dragon Slayer. The Re-quip mage abruptly landed a fist onto Natsu's head.

"What the fuck, Erza!?" Natsu yelled as he kneeled on the ground, clutching his head in pain.

"Push me like that again, Natsu, and you'll be in a lot worse pain." Erza said with a dark aura surrounding her.

"Aye, Natsu, you should've listened to Erza since the beginning." Happy sighed, flying out of Natsu's hold.

"Juvia, Gray, anything?" Makarov asked suddenly.

"Sorry, Master. Juvia did not find anyone who has seen Lucy-san." Juvia said.

"Same. None of the blacksmiths or smelters you sent us to have seen Lucy or Loke, nor remember a person with their description." Gray added.

"Why were you going after blacksmiths and smellers?" Natsu asked, getting off of the ground.

"Smelters, Natsu-san." Juvia corrected.

"Lucy and Loke were gathering iron ore. They'd have to transform it into iron which could then be made into a weapon or the like." Erza answered.

"I sent Gray and Juvia after you." Master said to Natsu. "If Lucy and Loke appeared in the west, then it was a good guess that they would have it done somewhere nearby."

"You followed me?" Natsu asked, looking at the Ice Make mage.

"A few days later, but trust me, I didn't want to." Gray scoffed. "However, Master's orders are final."

"Juvia also checked some blacksmiths and smelters around Magnolia." Juvia said. "They have not seen either of them."

"She'll show up when she's ready, then." Master sighed. "Let's just hope for her safe return."

* * *

"That's enough, Lucy-sama." Capricorn announced. The winds died down, leaving a panting Celestial mage. "Good job, today. Take an hour to rest and recover you magic."

"I've been meditating all morning." Lucy sighed in exhaustion.

"Sorry, love, we're waiting for Sagittarius to finish." Loke said. "He said he'd be done by afternoon."

"It is almost lunch time. Perhaps we should go back to Zodiac Village and eat?" Capricorn suggested. Lucy nodded, standing up shakily.

"Careful, princess." Loke said, putting an arm around her waist. "You used a lot of magic."

"Thanks," Lucy said gratefully at the support.

"Recover fast, we'll need magic for your next training today." Loke said.

"How can I 'recover fast'? I recover when I recover." Lucy huffed.

"Your magic should be restored faster here, Lucy-sama." Capricorn reminded.

"Thank goodness for that." Lucy sighed, standing on her own now.

"Don't fall." Loke warned as he carefully let her go.

"I'll try not to." Lucy joked. "What's for lunch?"

"Virgo and Cancer are making lunch today, Lucy-sama." Capricorn informed.

The group made it to Zodiac Village and was, once again, seated in Capricorn's home.

"Princess, I hope you enjoy." Virgo said, putting a plate of steamed crab down.

"Crab?" Lucy asked, slowly looking over to Cancer. "For lunch?"

"It is my specialty, shrimp." Cancer said, snipping his scissors.

"Thanks…?" Lucy said, unsurely. Weren't these creatures…Cancer's cousins or something?

"It's delicious." Loke said happily, dipping the steamed crab in butter and then munching on it. The Celestial mage felt her eye twitch.

* * *

…A Little Later…

* * *

"All right, first order of business." Loke said, turning to Sagittarius. "Have you completed the dagger?"

"I have, thus hello." Sagittarius said, saluting.

"Dagger?" Lucy questioned.

"A special dagger." Sagittarius answered. "It will now be one of your weapons."

"How is it special?" Lucy asked.

"When you combine an Earth Land material with Celestial material, it reacts to form what we call Star magic." Loke started to say.

"Star magic?"

"It's a magic that pulls power from either the nightly stars or the sun. So it's magic that isn't pulled from you directly." Loke explained some more. "It's not very strong, but if you're ever in a bind, it can help you deactivate some spells that your powers cannot override alone."

"That's useful." Lucy said in awe.

"Or cut through anything like a normal dagger." Loke finished with a shrug.

"I have also made it so that it cuts through most material." Sagittarius added.

"Like what?" Lucy asked. The Celestial World had a lot more going on than she originally thought.

"Stone, metal, glass, rope, rubber, wood, things like that, hello, hello." Sagittarius said. Lucy tackled the Archer Spirit with a hug.

"Thanks for all of your hard work. You guys are the best." Lucy said sincerely. Sagittarius smiled, patting her on the back.

"Virgo has it now. She is putting the finishing touches on it." The Archer Spirit informed.

"Princess," Virgo said, popping out of the ground. "I have finished it." She presented the dagger in her hands. The dagger was a pure silver color. No longer than nine inches long and one inch wide. At the base before the handle, were two two-inch points that jutted out, making it look like a trident. The handle was smooth with a coating of the sparkly rock that Lucy had found earlier. Sagittarius had melted the black rock into a smooth polish.

"Wow," Lucy said, once again in awe. "It's simple but absolutely beautiful."

"And quite useful." Loke reminded. "Go ahead and pick it up."

"You know," Lucy trailed off, almost afraid to touch the object in Virgo's hands. "Weapons are more of Erza's thing."

"It's a short weapon, I'll teach you how to use it without hurting yourself." Loke said while laughing. "Come on, we don't have all day."

"You said this would help me learn a new magic earlier." Lucy said suddenly. "But then you said it had a magic of its own."

"The item itself will help you." Loke said, picking up the dagger for her and placing it in her hand. "You'll have to learn the magic down in Earth Land."

"We're going back?" Lucy asked. "I thought my magic worked better and more efficiently here?"

"Hence, new magic, Lucy, dear." Loke sighed. "We're leaving soon."

"Good luck, Lucy." Sagittarius encouraged, saluting.

"We will see you later, princess." Virgo said, bowing slightly.

"Thanks again!" Lucy said as Loke transported them back to Earth Land. Once the light died down, the Celestial mage looked around. "Where are we now?"

"An island a few miles away from Fiore." Loke said, water lapping at his shoes. "No one lives here."

"Is that Fiore?" Lucy asked, looking into the distance to faintly see a splotch of what looked like land.

"Right. It's the west coast." Loke answered. "Let's get started. Is your magic at a good level?"

"Yeah, almost full." Lucy answered, still cautiously holding the weapon in her hand.

"Great." Loke said, pulling out a small book from his suit pocket. "You'll be learning Re-quip."

"Erza and Bisca's magic?" Lucy asked, shocked.

"A smaller form, but essentially, yes." Loke replied, leafing through the small booklet. "I had Crux write out some instructions on how to get started."

"What do I need it for?" Lucy asked. "Just this dagger?"

"And your keys. So you never lose them…. Again."

Lucy laughed nervously at that.

"I guess you're right. I can't very well carry this many keys without getting confused when picking one."

"Exactly. It'll be much easier if you summon the ones you want right to your hand." Loke agreed. "Since you're not using Celestial magic anymore, you'll have to build it up anew."

"Great." Lucy sighed. "Back to square one."

"We'll be spending the rest of your training time here on the island." Loke said. "The next few months you'll be learning Re-quip and combat skills. Plus, you'll have to get use to using your celestial spells in this world."

"My magic is all kinds of confused right now, I can feel it." Lucy sighed. "What day is it? Is it the same day as it was when we came here to get iron ore this morning?"

"No. About three weeks have passed since you woke up in the Celestial World in your view of 'today.'"

"Why is everything so confusing with you guys?" Lucy moaned, sitting on the sandy shore.

* * *

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

"Iron Dragon's Roar!"

The two attacks collided in between the two Dragon Slayers, creating an explosion of burnt scrap metal. The audience covered their faces with their arms and winced.

"They're really going at it." Wendy said, feeling the heat wave of Natsu's attack rush through the area.

"It's good practice." Erza said calmly.

"Let's just hope we don't have to build another guild." Levy sighed.

Natsu and Gajeel rushed each other, exchanging punches and kicks. A flaming fist connected with an iron club. Next, a flaming foot swung around, hitting Gajeel in the jaw while another iron pole smashed into Natsu's side. The volley went on for several minutes, neither Dragon Slayer willing to give in. Blood dripped onto the ground in little splatters. They kept moving around so quickly that their audience could hardly keep up. Their fists hit each other directly before the two jumped away.

"Gee-hee," Gajeel chuckled, transforming his body into iron scales.

"I'm all fired up." Natsu taunted back with a smirk, his body being engulfed by flames.

"Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs!" Gajeel yelled. His arm changed into a spearhead, aiming it right at his opponent. Steel spears started firing straight ahead.

"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flames!" Natsu yelled, forming a large fireball and sending it towards Gajeel. Without missing a beat, Natsu charged in with his attack, getting scraped by the steel spears along the way. Gajeel's eyes widened a fraction, as the Fire Dragon Slayer appeared right in front of him through the fiery explosion. Natsu grabbed onto Gajeel's face with his hand. "Fire Dragon's Grip Strike!" The hand on Gajeel's face blasted with flames.

The Iron Dragon Slayer yelled in pain as he was blown back. His body scraped against the ground, taking out chunks of stone. Clouds of dust burst into the air as he skidded along the pathway. As the dust disappeared, Gajeel stood with a grin, his eyes glowing blue and his body covered in iron scales while wisps of shadow surrounded him.

"Iron Shadow Dragon Mode." The Iron Dragon Slayer called out.

"Are we finally getting serious?" Natsu asked, his eyes going red. Electricity started to crackle around Natsu's flaming body. "Lightning Flame Dragon Mode."

"They weren't serious before?" Levy asked, taking a step back.

"We're going to have a lot to clean up." Wendy said absently, looking around. She was use to the Dragon Slayer ways.

"They've mastered it?" Gray asked to no one in particular, crossing his arms.

"Looks like it." Erza said. "It's not taking up much of their magic, either."

The two Dragon Slayers rushed at each other once more, their feet hardly touching the ground. Natsu punched forward, his fist easily getting dodged by Gajeel. The Fire Dragon Slayer then placed fire on his elbow, jabbing it backwards. Gajeel quickly turned into a shadow, melting into the ground before reappearing just behind his opponent. Natsu sensed his move and ducked to avoid the attack, swiping his feet forward to hit Gajeel in his knee. The Iron Dragon Slayer jumped up, landing back into shadow form. Natsu growled, lighting his foot on fire and covering it with electricity before kicking at the stone ground, sending rocks, fire, and electricity flying. Gajeel appeared in the flying debris, rubbing his cheek lightly as he sent a roar towards Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer countered it with his own roar attack. Electricity, fire, shadow, and iron collided.

"Ice Make: Shield!" Gray yelled, getting in front of the women. A large wall of ice formed in front of them, blocking any awry bolts of magic.

When the magic cleared, the two Dragon Slayers were already locked in close combat.

"We should build a training arena." Makarov said as he walked out of the back door of the guild and saw the destruction continuing to happen.

"That's an excellent idea, Master." Erza commented.

"That way we don't have to keep replacing the stone ground for Magnolia." Levy sighed, dusting off her dress from the little pebbles that were thrown their way.

"You should make the walls magic resistant." Gray scoffed, still watching the two Dragon Slayers duke it out.

"I'll have Mira draw up the plans." Master said with a nod. The short old man turned to watch the fight. Gray's eye twitched as he remembered Mira's blueprint for the new guild building after Phantom Lord destroyed it. "How's Natsu?"

"Getting back into the fighting spirit, just as you'd hoped." Erza answered with a grin.

"That boy can't resist a good battle." Makarov said with a chuckle.

"Let's just hope Lucy can bring him back." Erza whispered.

"The flame brain loves her. Of course Lucy can bring him back." Gray scoffed, not turning in their direction and kept his eyes on the fight just in case he had to make another shield. "He'd do anything for Lucy."

"Wouldn't you do anything for Lucy-san, too, Gray-san?" Wendy asked curiously.

"Of course, I would do everything I can for any of our nakama." Gray explained. "Ouch!" He yelled as his head was suddenly pulled into Erza's armor covered chest in a 'hug.'

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Gray." Erza said proudly.

"Why is that shocking to you?" The Ice Make mage grumbled, rubbing his head.

"Because I need you to do something," Erza said seriously.

"What?" Gray asked. Levy and Wendy curiously looked on. The Re-quip mage looked towards the Master. Makarov nodded.

"I need you to do a mission with Natsu. Keep him busy." Erza whispered. Gray's eyes widened.

"Why the hell-!" Gray started to yell but Makarov quickly covered his mouth as the Master used his Titan magic.

"It's Cana." Erza hissed turning her back to the fight so sound didn't travel as much. Gray garbled out a sentence behind the hand.

"Her cards have stopped predicting Lucy's whereabouts all together." Makarov sighed.

"Mmrrph!?" Gray yelled behind the hand.

"Something is blocking Cana's magic from reaching Lucy. Until she can break it, let's not have Natsu know." Erza murmured. "For his own peace of mind."

"And he was so relieved earlier today knowing that Lucy-san was okay." Wendy said sadly.

"Lu-chan." Levy sighed mournfully.


	15. S-Class Coaching

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: S-Class Coaching

* * *

April X792

* * *

"It was your fault, you flaming bastard!"

"No way! It was _your_ fault, you icy stripper!"

The people inside Fairy Tail's guildhall looked towards the doors as the loud shouts got closer and closer. Erza sighed, rubbing her temples as her blood pressure rose. Every time these two went on a mission… Perhaps it was a horrible idea to have them go alone.

"Did you turn your brain to ash? It was clearly your fault!"

"No way! You must've turned your brain into a snow cone! It was your fault!"

The guild doors banged open, revealing Natsu and Gray. Surprise. Gray had his hands tucked into his pockets while Natsu had his arms crossed. They continued walking into the guild, stopping in the middle to push their foreheads together and growl angrily.

"I'm never doing a mission with you again!" The two of them shouted at the same time.

"Enough!" Erza hissed, taking hold of their hair and banging their forehead together. "You test my patience."

"Natsu! Gray!" The Master yelled from the second floor. "You burned half of the city and froze the other half! What were you thinking!?"

"Only those two could mess up a security job." Gajeel scoffed in amusement. "For a dog."

"In their defense, it was a pure bred." Wendy said, also smiling in glee.

"The wealthy these days," Charle sighed.

"I heard that the dog's collar had diamonds on it." Pantherlily informed.

"Why would you put diamonds on a collar?" Happy asked. The blue Exceed did not go with Natsu this time. Why would his partner choose to guard a dog, of all creatures? Why not a fish?

"Who knows?" Charle huffed, sipping her Darjeeling tea.

"I asked you for one favor." Erza growled, throwing the two reckless mages into the wall.

"Another formal apology letter." Makarov sighed, looking down at the notice in his hands.

* * *

"Ah!" Lucy yelled as she was forced into the water.

"I'm sorry, Lucy-sama." Capricorn apologized, offering the blonde a hand up. "Are you all right?"

"I'll never get the hang of this." Lucy sighed in frustration, taking Capricorn's hand and lifting herself up. She was now completely soaked in ocean water from head to toe. Not that she was any drier before since they were practicing combat in knee-deep water.

"You're doing great, Lucy." Loke reassured. "You've landed a few punches and blocked some."

"I'm still easily over powered." Lucy said. "I told you before, I'm not really meant for close fighting."

"But it's safer to know how to." Loke replied. "Plus, you'll have to train with the Beasts soon, and you know how tough some of them can be in combat."

"Perhaps it is best to show you how to use your opponents power against them." Capricorn suggested. "Since you are so adamant about not being able to over power any opponent."

"Okay," Lucy agreed doubtfully, but got into a fighting stance.

"Before that," Loke said, walking into the water. "Are you hurt?"

"No," She replied, checking herself over for any scratches or bruises she may have gotten.

"How about your leg muscles? Working in water increases the pressure." Capricorn asked. "It wouldn't be good to get a cramp now."

"I'm all right," Lucy reassured. "Let's keep going."

"Okay, then," Loke replied, stepping into a fighting stance as well. "First…"

* * *

"What can I do for you, Virgo?" The Spirit King asked as he saw the Spirit of the Maiden appear in front of him. "Is there something wrong with the house for our old friend?"

"No, sir, the house is in perfect condition." Virgo replied, her facial expression not changing. "It is about your magic shield."

"What about it?"

"Why are you not allowing princess's friends to find her through magic?" The Spirit of the Maiden asked, repeating the words that Lucy had said a few days ago.

"Our old friend must remain hidden until she completes her training, you know that, Virgo." The Spirit King said seriously. "You know the danger that is out in her world right now."

"Her friends must be worried," Virgo insisted, though her tone remained neutral.

"I am aware that they are. Leo and her have found good people." The King replied. "However, they will just have to wait."

"If you believe that is best." She consented, bowing slightly.

* * *

"The city is shifting?!" Wendy said in alarm as she felt the tremors in the earth.

"Gildarts must be back." Erza informed.

"The whole city has to move for one wizard?" Charle huffed.

"You've seen his magic." Gray said with a smirk. "One accidental touch and there goes an entire building."

"Gildarts!" Natsu yelled, springing into action as the S-class mage walked through the doors. "Fight me!" The Fire Dragon Slayer yelled, jumping towards the elder mage.

"Natsu," Gildarts replied, hitting Natsu's head to the ground. "Good to see you."

"Welcome back," Mirajane said from the bar.

"Hello, Mira." Gildarts greeted as he looked around. "Cana-chan!"

"Great," Cana sighed, squeaking as her father pulled her into a big bear hug. "Hi, dad," The Card mage wheezed out.

"How is my precious Cana-chan?" Gildarts asked, rubbing his cheek against his daughter's.

"Fine." Cana replied, pushing away from him but gave a tender smile. "What are you here for?"

"Can't I just come home to see my daughter?" Gildarts asked with a shocked face.

"Yeah, but I figured you'd be on one of your extended vacations." She said with a shrug.

"Ah, Gildarts, how was the fifty-year mission?" Makarov asked.

"Completed," Gildarts said with a smirk. Makarov then hit him in the head with a wooden staff. "Ow!"

"That was for making me Master again!" Makarov yelled. The guild erupted into laughter.

"Natsu-san?" Wendy called softly as she crouched by him, pouring her Sky magic into the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Thanks," Natsu said with a wince as he got up.

"You'll never beat Gildarts," Gray sighed.

"I will!" Natsu yelled. "Watch me!"

"You're not actually-" Charle started to say; however Natsu was already flying towards the eldest S-class mage. "Reckless,"

"Did you come back to participate in the Grand Magic Games this year?" Makarov asked.

Without missing a beat, the Crash mage punched Natsu and answered, "No way, I'll leave that up to the kids. I'm not really into the tournament stuff."

"All right then," Master said, nodding. He wasn't about to force his Ace to participate.

"Natsu, anything new?" Gildarts asked, looking down to the crumpled form of the Dragon Slayer. "Where's that girl of yours, I don't see her?"

"Girl?" Natsu asked. The Crash mage looked behind Natsu to see Cana furiously shaking her head side to side.

"The um…" Gildarts trailed off, not sure what was going on. He looked around, trying to find a way out of the conversation, but instead found that everyone who was listening looked away with downcast eyes. Gildarts then turned towards Mira, hoping she'd shed some light for him. Behind the gloomy Take-Over: Satan Soul mage was a picture Gildarts had never seen in the guild before. "I see…" He murmured, realizing what had happened. "When…?"

"August 10th was when she was officially written in the records." Makarov answered, his tone becoming serious.

"A few months ago, then." The Crash mage said with a nod, walking towards the picture to look at the map below it closer. He read all the names that appeared to the side of it in light pen and memorized all the locations crossed out. "You found a scent?" Gildarts asked to no one in particular when he saw the two circles around an area to the west.

"She's not there anymore." Mira answered, seeing that no one was moving very much. "And used some kind of teleportation magic to get out of there without leaving a trail."

"Natsu!" Gildarts yelled across the guild.

"What?" Natsu asked in a subdued voice, his earlier cheerful personality disappearing.

"Should I stop coming home?" The Crash mage asked, turning to face everyone again.

"What?" Natsu asked again, more confused this time.

"Every time I come home, one of your women seems to go missing." Gildarts said, shifting his eyes to look at Lisanna, who was sitting with Elfman at a table.

"They're not my women," Natsu replied softly, looking away. The Fire Dragon Slayer couldn't deny that other statement, though. Last time Gildarts had come home, Natsu told him that Lisanna had been dead for two years.

"Dad," Cana hissed.

"Well come on," Gildarts directed, walking to the guild doors. "You have that tournament to train for, don't you?" Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Let's go train."

"Train?" Natsu asked incredulously.

"You've been wanting to train with me for a while, don't tell me you've changed your mind?" Gildarts asked with a grin. "Cana-chan, you come too."

"Wait, me?" Cana asked. "I'm not even part of the main team!"

"Come on!" The Crash mage yelled, walking out the door.

"We should train, too." Erza declared, grabbing Gray's wrist and dragging the Ice Make mage outside. "Laxus, Gajeel, let's go."

"Don't boss me around, woman." Gajeel huffed, but got up from his seat and followed. The Iron Dragon Slayer wouldn't miss the opportunity to watch Salamander get beaten to a pulp by Fairy Tail's Ace.

"Tch," Laxus scoffed in reply, reluctantly walking out the door. "The substitutes should come too."

"What is this, a guild training session?" Max whispered to Warren, who shrugged.

* * *

"Food," Lucy whined like a person who had turned into a zombie. "Food." The Celestial mage unabashedly crawled up the steps to the temporary house.

"All right, little princess, up you go," Loke said with a chuckle as he put his arms around her and lifted her against his chest. He walked into the dining area.

"Maybe you pushed her too hard, I'm sorry." Aries said, putting down a bowl of homemade ramen.

"Hello, Aries." Leo greeted, putting Lucy's feet onto the ground. The blonde slinked her way over to the dining table, sitting where the Ram Spirit placed the food.

"You're on food duty today?" Capricorn asked as he also entered.

"Yes," Aries replied, setting out one more bowl. "I made these before the King opened my gate. I hope they're still warm. I'm sorry."

"Thanks, Aries." Lucy said tiredly, but gratefully as she took some chopsticks and gathered the noodles.

"I will be taking my leave, Lucy-sama." Capricorn informed with a slight bow.

"Already?" Lucy asked, turning to the Sea Goat Spirit.

"You've had enough physical training today." Loke said, patting her head. "We'll be working on the speed of your Re-quip for the rest of the day and then some more meditation."

"Okay. Thanks for all your help, Capricorn. I'll see you tomorrow, right?" Lucy said.

"Of course, Lucy-sama." Capricorn replied. With that, he disappeared in a flash of gold.

"It's so nice seeing you guys here without using any of my magic." Lucy sighed in contentment as she took another bite of the ramen. Aries placed a plate of salad and a glass of water next to the bowl.

"The King is willing to do everything for your training and health." Aries replied, sitting down as well.

"Which includes this magically built house." Loke added with an amused laugh.

"You're not hungry?" Lucy asked, eyeing the pink haired spirit.

"I've already eaten." Aries replied softly.

"If you're sure." The Celestial mage said with a shrug. "I could use a shower after this."

"It would be a good idea to get out of those wet clothes." Loke agreed.

"You should change too, Leo." Aries said timidly, eyeing the wet clothing.

"Probably," Loke chuckled. Lucy eyed the two silently with a knowing grin. The dining room fell silent, the only noise being the clanking of silverware and chewing.

"Did you like it, Lucy?" Aries asked when the blonde finished all she could.

"It was delicious." Lucy replied. "You have to teach me how to make this one day." The Ram Spirit smiled happily at her owner's praise.

"Of course." Aries said, taking the bowl and empty salad plate.

"I can do the dishes," Lucy protested, getting up from her chair.

"You should shower quickly, Lucy, before Grandpa Crux brings the Re-quip magic book." The pink haired spirit urged. "I don't mind doing the dishes."

"But-" Lucy tried to argue.

"Go quickly. Your Re-quip still needs work." Loke said, pushing the blonde's back lightly to get her to move towards the bathroom.

"Okay," Lucy sighed, jogging to her bedroom to get clothing.

"Looks like your food reenergized her." Leo said with a laugh before finishing his own portion of food. "It really is good, though."

"I'm glad," Aries replied, but then looked worriedly at her long time friend. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't been back to the Celestial World in a while, and you keep using your magic to help Lucy train. Maybe you should take a break? I'm sorry." She said timidly, hoping she didn't step out of line with the Zodiac Leader.

"I'll be all right," Loke reassured with a soft smile as he took his dish to the sink. "I spent three years here before."

"But still…" Aries sighed, not wanting to think back to the reason why Leo had spent three years in the Earth Land realm.

"It's all right," He said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Lucy let's me use some of her magic when she's doing combat training. And she's offered me a break, but I'd rather stay here with her. Make sure she's okay… that she's not lonely here on a deserted island."

"Right," Aries said with a nod. They haven't been with Lucy long, but sometimes Aquarius talks about Lucy's past of being alone for most of her childhood. The Water Bearer Spirit even once scoffed at the man that called himself Lucy's father.

"I should probably change," Loke said, looking down at his outfit. "Thanks for the meal. Are you sure you don't want help doing the dishes?"

"It's fine, Leo." She replied. "Change before you get cold." He nodded, walking to his own bedroom. Aries felt a gate open next to her, revealing Crux of the Southern Cross.

"Ah, she's done eating, I see." Grandpa Crux said, looking at the empty bowl in her hand. "Is she ready?"

"She, Leo, and Capricorn were training in the ocean. Lucy has gone to shower." Aries informed, bringing the dish to the sink, Crux following her for company.

"She has not used a lot of her magic, I hope?"

"I'm not sure." She said, washing the dishes. "Is there a lot to do today?"

"She'll have to shuffle through everything in her inventory for the next few hours. Two objects at a time."

"Nonstop?" Aries asked in shock.

"Practice is the only way to master any kind of magic." Grandpa Crux replied. "And the more keys she can summon at once, the better."

"Probably," She sighed in agreement. Aries wanted her owner to have, at least, a small break. Continuous training must be rough on her.

* * *

"When did this turn into a show?" Warren asked as he looked at all of the guild members sitting outside, watching Natsu training with Gildarts. Of course, the other participants of the Grand Magic Games, and the reserve members, were close by and listening carefully.

"I don't think anyone is inside anymore." Max sighed, silently counting the audience. "At least it's a nice day."

"No, Natsu! You're doing it wrong!" Erza said loudly, stomping towards the Fire Dragon Slayer and correcting his movements by grabbing his arms and moving them for him. "Like this, and then like that."

Gildarts stood to the side, scratching his cheek with his index finger. Wasn't _he_ supposed to be the teacher today? He thought Natsu was doing fine.

Laxus snickered at seeing Natsu get manhandled by Erza.

"Ouch, Erza," Natsu hissed, losing his balance momentarily as his arms were pulled forward.

"Are you complaining?" Erza asked with a serious glint to her eyes. The Fire Dragon Slayer quickly shook his head side to side. Cana laughed before taking a swig from her beer bottle.

"My, my," Mira said in amusement.

"Take it like a man!" Elfman yelled. "Manly!"

"Erza-san, maybe you should let him go?" Wendy said cautiously.

"Then like this, and then like this. Now do it again." Erza commanded, letting go of Natsu's arm, leaving him a bit dizzy from all the jerking around.

"Can't you do it right, flame brain?" Gray taunted.

"Oh yeah?!" Natsu yelled back, his wooziness forgotten.

"Natsu," Gildarts said calmly, grabbing the Fire Dragon Slayer by the back of his shirt. "We're training."

"Right," Natsu said, calming down instantly, surprising most of those who were watching. "What's next?"

"We will run ten miles to warm up and then battle each other to test out your new moves." Erza said, re-quipping into shorts, a cropped t-shirt, sunglasses, and a snapback.

"We will?" Gajeel asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Go!" Erza yelled, motioning for everyone to start running, even the idle guild members who were only watching. "Why aren't you going?" She asked in a demonic voice. With that, the audience quickly got up and started running, leaving the Grand Magic Game participants behind. "Well?"

"You kids go ahead." Gildarts said, walking towards Makarov. "I have to talk to Master about something."

"Let's go." Erza said, grabbing Natsu and Gray by their wrists and running.

"We better go, Charle." Wendy said, running to catch up with everyone as Charle summoned her Aera magic and flew.

"Jeez, why did everyone else get dragged into this?" Charle asked, crossing her arms.

"Because Erza is scary." Happy replied with a shiver as he flew next to the white Exceed.

"Come on, Elfman," Mira said, lightly jogging.

"Running is manly!" The Take-Over: Beast Soul mage yelled, sprinting full speed ahead.

"I bet he can't keep that up for ten miles." Cana said.

"I'll take that bet." Laxus said, walking.

"Juvia thinks this feels like the twenty-four hour race." Juvia sighed, running with Gajeel and Pantherlily.

"Don't give the old man any ideas." Gajeel said, trembling at the thought of the punishment last race.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" Makarov asked once Gildarts walked over.

"Erza has gotten… worse." Gildarts said slowly.

"Probably because Lucy isn't here to calm her down some." Makarov sighed. "She always did have that small effect on Erza."

"Small effect?"

"No one can fully calm Erza." The Master replied seriously but then paused. "Maybe Jellal."

One and a half hours later, all of the Grand Magic Game contestants found their way back to the guild. Wendy tripped at the finish line, falling face first and staying that way in exhaustion. Gray and Natsu were pushing their foreheads together in a heated argument about who crossed the imaginary finish line first, while Erza was busy mentally putting people together to have a small training battle, not bothering to separate the two.

"I can't believe it's only late afternoon." Gajeel grunted, crossing his arms, not looking the least bit winded.

"We still have a long day ahead of us." Mirajane replied with a cheery smile, also looking as perfect as she did when the run had started.

* * *

Lucy panted, putting her hands on her knees to try to stay standing. Her magic was running dangerously close to zero at this point. Summoning two keys to her hand and switching them out as soon as they were in her grasp for the last few hours had been taxing. Not only was Re-quip draining more magic than necessary because she was not yet use to the magic, but her body was still recovering from the intense physical training done this morning.

"Here," Loke said, walking up to her with a glass of water.

"Thanks," Lucy croaked out, grabbing the water and guzzling it down.

"Easy," Loke murmured in concern. "Don't drink it so fast." The Celestial mage easily finished the water and ended up coughing slightly. He took the empty glass back and lightly rubbed her back. "I know it's hard. Just endure training a little longer." Lucy still felt that her lungs weren't getting enough air but tried to steady her breathing.

"You're doing great," Crux piped up. "Your Re-quip is getting faster."

"That's good to know." Lucy sighed, finally able to get up from her slouched position. The act of getting up made her slightly dizzy from the blood rush.

"Maybe it's time for a break." Loke advised, grabbing hold of her shoulders, glass still in hand. "Sit, I'll bring you more water." She nodded, sitting down on the sandy beach while he went back into the house.

"Is it getting any easier?" Crux asked. "The more you do it, the more familiar it should become."

"I don't know." Lucy sighed, rubbing her forehead with a hand. "Summoning them to me isn't taking much thought at all, but just knowing that it has to be faster…"

"You're thinking too much about it." The Southern Cross Spirit instructed. "Let it happen naturally. The process will speed up on it's own."

"I have to admit, I'm impressed." Loke said, walking back out to the beach and handing Lucy another glass of water. "You lasted a long time, especially since you poured unnecessary magic into the transfers."

Lucy scoffed lightly, "You guys said so yourself. Re-quipping doesn't actually take much power, depending on the item. It's the objects that need the magic to be used. But once they're out, they don't need magic to stay in place."

"Stop putting yourself down," Leo sighed, sitting next to her. "You're honest to goodness doing well."

"And you hardly complain." Crux said with a nod.

"I just hope I can do this… for your sakes." Lucy said in a gentle voice, staring out into the vast ocean.

* * *

"We should've just gone home." Romeo panted, putting his hands on his knees. Three hours after Erza had started the all-guild marathon, the rest of the Fairy Tail members made it back to the guildhall, only to find that the scary red haired mage wasn't paying any attention to them and fighting her own battle with Gajeel.

Erza's Training Battles were as followed:

Erza vs. Gajeel

Laxus vs. Mirajane

Natsu vs. Juvia

Gray vs. Cana

Wendy vs. Elfman

Of course, these pairings weren't without complaints.

"Why couldn't I be with Gray-sama?" Juvia cried, dodging Natsu's Fire Dragon Roar and sending back her Water Whip.

"As if water is going to stop my fire." Natsu growled, not bothering to dodge Juvia's attack. Instead, he turned the water into mist with his Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flames. Erza ignored them.

"Don't you think you put Wendy at too great of a size disadvantage?!" Charle yelled in concern as she saw Wendy speedily dodge Elfman's punch in his Take Over: Beast Soul Lizardman form.

"Wendy should learn how to deal with bigger opponents." Erza replied, skillfully intercepting Gajeel's sword-arm with one of her own swords and then stabbing another sword with her other hand forward. "Her speed will be key."

"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy yelled as she jumped above Elfman and aimed to the ground.

"As if your fire cards have an effect on me." Gray said with a smirk, encasing Cana's thrown cards in ice.

"But explosion cards will." Cana replied, also having a smirk on her face. The cards coated in ice suddenly glowed red before exploding, sending chunks of ice in every direction. Gray covered his face with his arms, lightly getting scrapes from the sharp ice shards.

"Not bad." Gray complemented, jumping forward. "Ice Make: Lance!"

"Lightning, Reverse Tower, Lovers!" Cana called out, spreading three cards in her hands. "Jolt of Fate!" A net of electricity rushed towards Gray.

"Soul Extinction!" Mira yelled from the air in her normal Satan Soul form. Her black colored magic rained down on Laxus, though the man hardly flinched. Mirajane knew he wasn't there anymore when the attack hit the ground. Slowly shifting her eyes, Mira saw a flash of electricity appear to the right of her.

Laxus materialized once more, taking a deep breath, "Lightning Dragon's Roar!" Mira easily flew away from the blast in quick bursts, appearing just behind the Lightning Dragon Slayer who landed on the ground. She threw a punch to his head but was quickly blocked when he turned around.

"Evil Explosion," Mirajane said calmly, her other hand filling up with dark magic. The magic burst forward. He countered her attack by surrounding his fist with lightning.

"Come on, Mirajane. We both know you're not using your full power." Laxus taunted. The Take Over: Satan Soul mage shrugged.

"Wouldn't want to hurt you." Mira replied, quickly turning to do a roundhouse kick.

"Gi-hee," Gajeel laughed before sending an Iron Dragon's Roar at a flurry of flames. "Flame Empress Armor. Not bad, but it'll take a lot more than that to damage me."

Erza jumped through the burst of magic and aimed a well-placed kick at Gajeel. He, in turn, transformed his arm into a pole and had her foot land on it before shoving it forward to tip her off balance. Not to be outdone, Erza landed gracefully, swinging her sword forward. Gajeel caught the sword in his hand and brought it to his mouth, taking a bite out of it.

"My sword is not a free meal." Erza growled, sending her damaged sword back into her inventory.

"Iron is my element." Gajeel said with a shrug, chewing loudly on the metal. "You should know it has no effect on me." The Re-quip mage's eye ticked slightly before she changed into her Purgatory armor with no sword in hand. She then confronted Gajeel into a fistfight.

"This certainly got out of hand." Gildarts commented dryly, watching as the young ones damaged the area further. Master Makarov stood with his jaw hanging open.

"We should send them away to the wilderness." Macao mentioned, still panting from the ten-mile… speed walk.

"They left to train last year." Wakaba reminded, also breathless. "They're probably too worried about Lucy to go anywhere this time." Macao nodded, catching his breath. "You should take it easy, old man."

"You're one to talk!" Macao yelled back.

"Even you guys," Master sighed.

* * *

…Sunset…

* * *

The Grand Magic Game participants and reserve members lay scattered near each other in fatigue. During their training, one group eventually accidentally ran into another, which ended up in a bigger fight. Which then got in the way of the other groups. Soon, all ten of them were brawling with each other in a melee fight-until-everyone-runs-out-of-magic. Even the polite Wendy continued to battle for the rest of the day.

Master Makarov still stood to the side, his body twitching at the damage that was caused.

* * *

Lucy groaned lightly as she awoke from unconsciousness. Slowly, she opened her eyes, seeing blurry images of the objects in the room.

"You pushed yourself too hard."

The Celestial mage looked over, her eyes meeting the back of the couch rather than a person. The fuzzy image of a person with orange-brown hair came a few seconds later when he walked over and knelt down. Lucy blinked a few times trying to clear her tired eyes, turning her head away from the back of the couch. Loke's concerned face became clear to her as the Lion Spirit placed a hand on her cheek.

"Sorry," Lucy whispered. "I didn't mean to pass out."

"I told you to tell us when you're magic is too low." Loke chastised softly, now putting his hand on her forehead to make sure she wasn't getting ill.

"I was just trying my best for you guys."

"That doesn't entail putting your health in danger." He said back in a serious tone. "Are you all right now?"

"Kind of woozy." She admitted, closing her eyes.

"Can you sit up? Capricorn made a medicinal drink for you." Loke asked, putting an arm under her shoulders. She nodded; using the little strength she had left to lift her upper body. Lucy stayed sitting up on her own strength and clutched the weirdly colored drink in both hands, slowly drinking it down.

"How long have I been out?" Lucy asked when she finished the bitter drink.

"You passed out around seven. It's eleven now."

"Sorry." Lucy apologized again.

"Don't do it again." Loke said sternly before sighing and sitting next to her. "Can you stomach any food? It'll help your body recover."

"I'm not really hungry."

"Can you try? At least for my own peace of mind?" He urged. "It's lobster ravioli tonight." Lucy smiled in amusement.

"Are you trying to tempt me with delicious food?" Lucy joked softly. "Or are you just fattening me up with the ramen this afternoon and pasta tonight?"

"A little of both." Loke jested back, glad to see that she was well enough to be acting playful.

"I suppose I could try eating for your sake. Don't blame me if I puke it out later." Lucy said, still feeling a little dizzy.

"I'll warm it up for you." Loke informed, getting up and heading into the kitchen, taking Lucy's glass with him.

The Celestial wizard sighed, tipping her head back to lean against the back of the couch. She still felt out of energy, and was it her or was the room slightly spinning? Lucy heard the sound of the lacrima microwave beep, signaling she had been spacing it for far longer than she thought. Loke came back with a fork and a steaming plate in hand. She watched him upside down, which did not help her lightheadedness.

"It smells good." She commented, slowly lifting her head back up so the blood didn't rush through her.

"I _think_ it tasted good." Loke said with a pointed glare, silently saying that he ate but worried too much about her to taste the food fully. She looked at him sheepishly, taking the fork from him.

"I wonder what Natsu and the others are doing." Lucy said after chewing her first bite. The ravioli was delicious! And the tomato cream sauce that surrounded it was heavenly.

"Probably what they always do." Loke replied, watching her eat to make sure she at least finished a decent amount. "Fighting in the guild, training, running from Erza." Lucy giggled lightly at that.

"I hope they're doing well."


	16. Final Preparations

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Chapter Sixteen: Final Preparations

* * *

June 28, X792

* * *

"Natsu?" Erza called softly, watching the Fire Dragon Slayer.

Natsu, with his backpack on, stared forlornly at the Fairy Tail building. He stood in front of the front gates, looking up at the sign and the little statues that decorated it. Erza, Gray, and Wendy looked at each other in concern. It was the day that everyone was to leave for Crocus to either participate or watch the Grand Magic Games. It was supposed to be an exciting day. Natsu stood stock still with a small frown. Happy sat on top of Natsu's head, hoping to give what little comfort he could.

"Yo, flame head, we have to go. The train isn't going to wait." Gray said. The Fire Dragon Slayer let out a breath.

"I hope she doesn't come back just to find everyone gone." Natsu said softly, turning away from the guild. No one had to even ask whom he was talking about.

"She'll know where we are, Natsu-san." Wendy soothed gently.

"At the rate we're going, we'll be the last ones there." Gray informed, not seeing any of the other guild members around.

"We have to be there before the thirtieth of June. We have a little time." Erza commented, leading them to the train station. The Re-quip mage dragged her large pile of luggage with her.

"Don't the Games start on the first of July? Why be there on the thirtieth?" Happy asked, still laying on Natsu's head.

"Something about all-day preliminaries." Wendy said. "Master didn't know much himself."

"They always did like to keep secrets." Charle scoffed from the Sky Dragon Slayer's arms.

"It keeps the games more exciting." Gray said with a shrug. "But all-day preliminaries? It's not even the actual tournament yet and we're starting right off with something this big?"

"I guess they're making this year enormous." Erza said with a grin. She wondered if she could face off against those monsters again.

* * *

"Pisces, anything?" Yukino asked eagerly as she walked to the train station with Sting, Rogue, Lector, and Frosch.

"We're sorry, Yukino." The mother Pisces said as she and her son floated around above the group.

"Lucy has not been seen nor has any of her Spirits been summoned into the Earth Land realm." The son Pisces added. Yukino sighed in disappointment.

"Maybe she'll show up at the Games." Sting said with a shrug. "You know how Fairy Tail is."

"What do you mean?" The Celestial mage asked.

"They don't give up without a fight." Rogue replied.

"And they always fight for what they believe in." Lector said, making a fist of determination.

"Besides, Fairy Tail doesn't give up on their members. Ever." Sting said, smirking a little.

"Frosch thinks so too." Frosch said with an encouraging smile.

"Thanks, Pisces." Yukino said, dismissing the pair back to the Celestial Spirit World.

"Fairy Tail is participating. We can ask if they have any clues." Sting reminded, opening the door to the train station and letting the others go in.

"I hope they have something." She sighed.

* * *

"She asked again?" Libra inquired, walking up to Pisces as they made it back home.

"Yeah," The mother Pisces answered. "She and Lucy had a good friendship."

"You won't have to lie for much longer." The deep voice of the Spirit King resounded through the area. The three of them looked up at the imposing figure.

"Already?" The son Pisces asked, surprised. The Spirit King nodded with a grin.

* * *

"We…n…dy…" Natsu croaked out, his body barely on the train seat.

"I'm sorry, Natsu-san." The Sky Dragon Slayer said frantically, worriedly. "You've almost become immune to my Troia spell."

"You're embarrassing." Gray sighed to the Fire Dragon Slayer, leaning his elbow on the window ledge and putting his head in his hand.

"Hang in there!" Wendy cried. "I need to improve my skills." She said with a sniffle.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Wendy. Natsu is a lost cause." Happy replied, sitting on Gray's lap. Natsu was too dangerous to sit on, just in case any of the Dragon Slayer's lunch came back up.

"Ah…Ugh…" Natsu tried to argue but the sudden jerking of the train car put an end to his thoughts.

Erza sat next to Gray, not paying an ounce of attention to the others. The piece of cake in her hands was too delectable not to be given her full attention when eating it. The moist and fluffy cake surrounded by a white cream frosting that had been slightly dyed pink from the fresh strawberries mixed in it. Each of the three layers of cake was cemented down with more of the fresh strawberry frosting, making the cake seem more delicious and colorful. It was topped off with three slices of strawberry lining the outer edge. The Re-quip mage took a forkful of the cake and placed it in her mouth. Her tongue swirled around the utensil to lick off every last crumb. She held back a moan of satisfaction. The cake had just the right amount of sweetness without being overbearing.

Gray shifted his eyes to his seat partner, raising an eyebrow at the odd expression the usually stern woman had. He was not about to ask what she was thinking about and shifted his eyes back to the view outside. The Ice Make mage absently put a hand on Happy's head, feeling the soft blue fur on his skin. Happy, though a talking cat of the Exceed breed, purred lightly at the contact. A cat was a cat, and they loved affection. Sometimes. A lot of the times, pet cats became the devil in disguise.

"Get any of that fish on me and I'm putting you on Erza's lap." Gray said in a nonchalant voice as if mentioning the weather. The blue Exceed's body trembled a little, munching on his raw fish a little less messily. Happy took the threat as it was. Erza, especially Erza with cake, was frightening.

"Get a hold of yourself. You're making Wendy insecure." Charle scolded, putting her paws on her hips.

"Shaking… wobbling…" Natsu squeaked in a high-pitched whine, dropping further down his seat.

* * *

"Are you sure we should be doing this?"

"Of course. We have to protect our family."

"If we get caught, our family will be the one that'll take the blame."

"We won't get caught."

"And how do you know that?"

"Believing in our other family."

"Fine."

"Open, Gate of the Twins, Gemini." Lucy chanted in a normal tone of voice, putting the key in front of her. The magical object glowed, opening a portal into Earth Land.

"Hello, Lucy," Gemi greeted.

"What can we do for you today?" Mini asked.

"Hello you two," Lucy greeted pleasantly with a smile before looking into the distance, becoming serious. The group was standing on top of a rather tall building, letting them view the area entirely. Gemini and Loke also looked over, staring at the seemingly important white building. "I need you to use your copy magic on Lahar and Doranbolt."

* * *

"Master," Mirajane called softly. The short old man looked up at the Take-Over: Satan Soul mage. "Would you like to get some food with us?" She asked, motioning towards her siblings.

"That's all right, Mira-chan." Makarov answered. "I need to go check in with our hotel and the rented bar space."

"Of course." She replied respectfully. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Go have fun, my dear." He said with a cheeky smile. "But if you see any of our members, make sure to point them to Honey Bone Lodge."

"We're staying there again?" Lisanna asked. "They must like us if they invited us back."

"Especially with all of the commotion we made." Mira giggled.

"Manly!" Elfman cried.

"Did you rent out Bar Sun again, as well?" Mira asked curiously.

"I don't know if they want us back, Mira-nee." Lisanna said sheepishly.

"Nonsense, they were more than happy to accommodate us again." Makarov said with a chuckle. "If we don't destroy any more furniture."

"I don't know if you can keep that promise." Mirajane said seriously.

"Probably not." Makarov said, walking away with a wave. "Enjoy your free time. The city is getting packed with tourists, so be careful."

* * *

The silhouette of a person merged back into the shadows in between two buildings. Fairy Tail was slowly arriving in small groups. Their Master, Makarov Dreyar, did not even bother to take with him a bodyguard. Were they so confident in their power? Did Makarov Dreyar believe that nothing could touch him? Believe that nothing could touch his children?

Soon, the Grand Magic Games will start. Everyone's attention will be grabbed by the excitement and energy of the spectacle. No one will pay attention what went on behind the scenes. Final preparations are to be made. Fairy Tail will soon be under a new master.

* * *

Makarov walked down the busy streets of Crocus, skillfully dodging those who were taller than him. The Saint Wizard could easily use his Titan magic to become larger, but chose not to. The less attention he received, the better. Fairy Tail's Master carefully looked at all the people he crossed. Some were clearly residents of the busy Capital, while others were seemingly lost. He also saw some of the members from other guilds that participated last year – even the ones who did not make it through the preliminary round.

Heavy footsteps followed behind him. Makarov didn't investigate the noise further, walking calmly towards the Honey Bone Inn. He was sure people milled around the place and went in the same direction all the time in big cities. The scrape of the presence of magic power rubbed against his instincts. Makarov shifted his eyes, but outwardly did not appear any less happy-go-lucky than he was before.

The heavy footsteps did not approach any closer, keeping a mild distance between them. One by one, the presence of other mages became known. Makarov's well-built instincts telling him that the magic possessed by these mages was nothing to trifle with. There were only a couple more blocks to go before he reached the inn.

* * *

"How should we infiltrate to find them?" Gemi asked, dancing with Mini.

"Copy one of those guards." Lucy commanded gently, pointing towards the guard that was walking around the perimeter. "Loke and I could knock one unconscious."

"That's not suspicious at all." Loke said with a roll of his eyes.

"Have a better plan?" Lucy asked, giving the Lion Spirit a dry look. "Having Gemini transform into either of us will cause suspicion too." The Twin Spirits danced around in the air, waiting for orders patiently.

"I've dated someone that was affiliated with the council-" Loke started to say.

"Not surprised," Lucy interrupted.

"And once that unconscious guard wakes up, they'll start digging deep into what happened." He continued to say, ignoring his owner's comment. "Besides, they have lacrima security cameras everywhere."

"We have an idea." Mini piped up, looking down towards the streets. Lucy and Loke looked down as well, seeing an amphibian-like creature wearing council robes walking into the city, and, more importantly, away from the magic council building.

"Who do you still have stored?" Lucy asked the twins.

"You and an incomplete form of Gray." Gemi answered. The Celestial mage sighed. Those forms wouldn't work and she was sure any council member would know a Celestial Spirit if they saw one. She quickly walked to the other side of the building rooftop, searching the city.

"Loke, keep an eye on the council frog." Lucy instructed. Leo nodded, not taking his eyes off of the council member. "Gemini," She called. The two floated over quickly. "See that guy unlocking his door? Is he close enough?"

"We can do it, Lucy." Mini informed as the two nodded. Gemi and Mini put their hands together, their bodies then glowing yellow. With a poof, the two little spirits copied the image of the man that was down below. Of course, without physically touching their target, Gemi and Mini could only perform an incomplete transformation where they only copy image.

"Great job." Lucy praised, impressed with the distance that Gemini could copy at. "Go do your thing."

"Okay, Lucy," The man-Gemini said in a deep voice, hopping off of the rooftop.

Lucy fast walked back to her original spot next to Loke. He pointed at the council amphibian in the distance. Gemini, now on ground level, looked up and observed where the Lion Spirit pointed. Lucy carefully took in their surroundings, making sure that no one saw them and no threats went after Gemini.

The Twins Spirits quickly ran after the amphibian, placing their hand on the council member's shoulder from behind. Security information, council member schedules, building layout, prisoner information, and recent news that had reached the magic council rushed into Gemini's transformed body. Inwardly, the Celestial Spirit suppressed the urge to copy the image of the amphibian. Outwardly, however, the Era citizen-Gemini gave a friendly smile.

"How can I help you?" The amphibian council member asked, turning around.

"I'm sorry to bother you." The man-Gemini apologized. "I noticed your robes. Are you from the magic council?"

"Yes, I am." The amphibian confirmed.

"Can I ask you a question about guilds?" Gemini improvised.

"Quickly, I am running an errand right now."

"I've never sent a job request before. Is there a process I have to go through or do I send it to any magic guild of my choosing?"

"There are many regulations you have to follow. You can find them in the lobby of the magic council building. Otherwise, you are free to send your request to any guild of your choosing. The magic council has a messenger for each section of Fiore, where they would then give the requests to local mailmen and women." The council member answered before bowing slightly. "If that is all, I need to run this errand."

"Of course. Thank you for your time." Gemini said, also slightly bowing. The amphibian turned back around and started walking away. Gemini, also, quickly turned around and met Lucy and Leo by the alleyway next to the building they were previously standing on.

* * *

"Laxus," Makarov said in a stern voice as he stopped walking on the side of the busy street. "Why do you feel the need to follow me?"

"Tch," Laxus scoffed, walking closer to his grandfather. "Have you learned nothing from last year, old man? You shouldn't go off on your own."

"Then you and the others can keep following me if you'd like." Makarov replied good-naturedly, continuing his walk to the inn. Laxus raised an eyebrow, but followed his grandfather on his errands.

"We're staying at this place again?" Evergreen asked, looking at the building ahead of them.

"Hopefully they won't complain about damages." Bickslow said with a chortle.

"Damages," The Human Possession mage's wooden dolls repeated. "Damages,"

"I've heard you rented the same bar as well, Master?" Freed inquired politely.

"We sure did a number on that place last year." Evergreen commented with a laugh behind her fan.

"We'll try to keep it to a minimum this year." Makarov replied.

"Are we talking about the same group of people?" Laxus asked dryly with a raised eyebrow. The Master sighed. There was no way Fairy Tail _wouldn't_ cause damages.

* * *

"Trembling… wobbling…" Natsu squeaked out.

"Oh, please, be quiet." Gray grumbled with his eyes closed.

It had been hours since their trip to Crocus started, and Natsu had yet to cease whimpering about the motions the train was making. The group had a few hours to go before they made it to their destination. Though none of them were sure how much longer they could put up with Natsu's motion sickness.

"Gray," Erza called. The Ice Make mage, who had his arms crossed and eyes closed, opened a single eye and looked beside him. "Switch spots with Natsu." Not questioning her motives, Gray got up and pulled the limp Fire Dragon Slayer by the collar of his shirt. The Ice Make mage then, unceremoniously, dropped Natsu onto the seat next to Erza.

"Are we…there yet?" Natsu whined, feeling his body getting lifted from his seat.

"Shh, just relax." Erza soothed, moving him so he was close to her. Natsu nodded. The Re-quip mage laid his head on her shoulder, giving him a sense of comfort. She abruptly sent a fist into his stomach, making the Fire Dragon Slayer lurch forward and fall unconscious on her lap.

Gray pretended not to notice as he sat in Natsu's old seat. The Ice Make mage moved the sleeping Wendy from her uncomfortable slouching position so she leaned on his shoulder. The Exceeds in her lap also shifting slightly at the movement, but did not wake. Gray then crossed his arms again and closed his eyes, hoping to slip into a light sleep.

Erza sighed, laying a hand on Natsu's shoulder. Had Lucy always been the one to calm Natsu during his motion sickness fits? Well, the one who didn't resort to violence? She absently squeezed Natsu's shoulder. No wonder the guy started to fall in love with her. Erza just wished she could do something for him. Something she could do for Lucy. They've almost searched the whole country and came back with nothing, aside from a small scent trail. Erza looked out the window. The view outside moved nearly too quick to see. She hoped to see a head of blonde. She hoped Lucy would return to them.

* * *

…Next Day…

* * *

"Natsu-san!"

The group turned to see a head of blond hair run to them.

"Sting-san," Wendy greeted politely.

"What can we do for you, Sabers?" Gray asked. The two guilds no longer butted heads, but a little friendly competition never hurt.

"Saw you walking around and we decided to come say hi." Sting said with a shrug.

"Looks like most of your guild is here already." Rogue commented. "We saw a lot of them around."

"Per Master's orders." Erza answered. "Seems like tomorrow's preliminaries are all day."

"Starting very early in the morning, I believe." Yukino added, slowly looking at each member of the small Fairy Tail group. Lucy still wasn't with them.

"Not even guild masters know what's going to happen." Sting complained, putting his hands behind his head in a lazy manner.

"The King does like surprises." Wendy said with a light giggle.

"Let's go eat, I'm starving." Natsu cut in, rubbing his stomach.

"Mind if we join you, Natsu-san?" Sting asked. "We were looking for some food, too."

"Sure," The Fire Dragon Slayer said with a shrug. "We should go to that buffet we went to a few months back!"

"I don't think they want us back." Charle sighed, walking on the ground with the other Exceeds.

"Nonsense. It's so busy in Crocus, they probably have enough food for the whole festivities." Erza reassured, leading them to the restaurant.

"Gray, I bet I can beat you again!" Natsu challenged.

"Again?! No way, I beat you last time!" Gray yelled back.

"Food eating contest!" Natsu and Gray roared together.

"Count me in!" Sting exclaimed afterwards, pumping his fist into the air.

"All the fish I can eat!" Happy said cheerfully, hearts in his eyes.

"Come on, Rogue, you have to do this too!" Sting said, slinging an arm over the Shadow Dragon Slayer.

"I'm not really into eating contests." Rogue tried to deny.

"I bet even Gajeel could beat you and he's a wimp." Natsu taunted.

"That is not going to work." Rogue said in a dry tone.

"Afraid?" Gray asked. "Fairy Tail can beat Sabertooth's butt in everything any day of the week."

"Nuh-uh!" Sting yelled childishly.

"Yeah-huh!" Natsu yelled back.

"Rogue, you're doing this." The White Dragon Slayer commanded. Rogue sighed, running a hand down his face. Yukino giggled behind her hand.

"This is exactly like last time." Charle sighed. "Maybe even worse."

"This restaurant isn't going to have any food left." Lector commented.

"Frosch thinks so too." Frosch said.

* * *

"Most of the guilds are here." Mirajane noted.

"They don't want to miss the preliminary rounds tomorrow morning." Laxus replied, taking a sip of his drink.

"All day preliminaries…" Mira trailed off in thought. "What do you think it'll be?"

"Probably some ridiculous game."

"All day?" The Take-Over mage asked in amusement. "I can't wait for tomorrow."

Laxus sighed. He had nothing to say to the over energetic woman that wouldn't turn her mood sour. Before all the crazy happened, she should stay happy and optimistic.

Currently, the two were put in charge of waiting for the remaining guild members to show up to the hotel. Though Mira had offered to take turns so the other could explore the city, Laxus declined. Saying he'd stay where gramps assigned him. He also suggested that she go with the Master to wherever it is the old man went, but Mira also declined. Makarov was more than capable of protecting himself. Laxus still had the rest of Thunder God Tribe follow Master around anyways.

"Is this the place?" A woman's voice slurred.

"Cana," Mira greeted, getting up.

"Are you drunk already?" Laxus asked, not bothering to help.

"No~~." Cana slurred, elongating the word longer than she normally would. Her face was slightly flushed pink from the alcohol.

"Where have you been? I thought you said you would make it here by morning?" Mirajane asked, putting an arm around the Card mage.

"I ran into that one guy." Cana said with a wave of her hand. "Had a drinking contest."

"It's only late afternoon." Laxus commented with a raised eyebrow.

"You're one to talk." Cana replied, staring at the beer bottle Laxus was nursing. "Drink it like a man!"

"Now you sound like Elfman." Mira joked, bringing Cana to sit with them. "Whom did you run into?"

"That guy…" Cana said, thinking a bit too hard about his name. "Bacchus. I definitely beat him this time."

"Is that why you're missing your pants?" Laxus asked, rolling his eyes and took another sip of his beer.

"You went around the city like this?" Mira asked with a giggle. Cana's lacy pink underwear matched her pink bikini top.

"So he won the first round." Cana admitted with a pout.

"So where's your prize?" The Take-Over mage asked, grinning.

"Good question, where'd I put that thing?" The Card mage mumbled, looking around her.

"Mirajane, bring her up to the room." Laxus ordered, sending a glare to a man that was watching a little too closely.

"All right." Mira conceded, pulling Cana by her arm. "Let's get you another pair of pants."

When the two girls left, the Lightning Dragon Slayer kept a close eye on anyone that dared try to follow. Sure, Mirajane was more than capable of handling any wayward man that stalked them, but Laxus wasn't about to let anything happen to his guild mates if he could help it.

He sighed after a good amount of time had passed, massaging his temple. Fairy Tail had a drinking problem. He was no exception.

* * *

"Feelin' full of life?" Milliana cheered, waving her hand in the air and standing up. "Er-chan!"

"Milliana!" Erza greeted, taking her group to a table of Mermaid Heel members. The two of them embraced after so long of not seeing each other.

"Big sister," Kagura greeted, sort of jokingly.

"Hello, Kagura." Erza replied, hugging the other girl as well.

"Why isn't she this nice to us?" Gray whispered to Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer shrugged.

"Have a seat with us after you get your food." Milliana insisted. "The buffet is great!"

"We're here too." Sting grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Yukino." Kagura said seriously.

"Y-yes?" Yukino stuttered, fully knowing the terms of their battle last year. Kagura gave a hard stare to the Celestial mage.

"Have a seat after getting some food." Kagura said after a tense silence. Yukino let out an anxious breathe, nodding.

"What is that wonderful parfum?"

Erza tensed, visibly shuddering when a certain guild entered the buffet.

* * *

…Night…

* * *

All of the Fairy Tail members were crammed inside Bar Sun, drinking and laughing like usual. It was the celebration to the start of the Grand Magic Games, although it looked like a normal day for the guild. Members surfed on top of barrels of ale, danced their heart out on top of tables, and laughed at each other's antics.

The Master took a big gulp of his ale, letting out a satisfying breathe afterwards. His hand slightly crumpled the piece of paper he held. Suddenly, there was a flash of light beside him. A petite girl with long blonde hair and a cute pink dress appeared in the light with a bright smile.

"Yay! Fairy Tail!" She cheered, putting her hands up in the air.

Everyone in the bar quieted down to stare at the new voice. The bartender looked at the group in confusion. Why did they all abruptly stop their ruckus at the same time?

"First Master!" A few cheered.

"Welcome back!" The rest greeted. The group quickly went back to what they were doing.

The bartender's eye twitched. These people were nuts. Who the hell were they talking to?

"Hello, Mavis," Makarov greeted. "Enjoying the festivities?"

"Of course." Mavis said with a cheeky smile. "You guys are a lot of fun to be with. It's nice on Tenrou, but it gets lonely."

"You're more than welcome to visit the guild." Makarov answered, taking a sip of ale.

"I have to keep watch of the island." Mavis sighed. She quickly perked back up, swinging her legs as she sat on the bar counter. "What's in your hand?"

"Instructions for the Games." He answered, showing her the slightly wrinkled paper. The bartender's eyes widened. Fairy Tail's Master was talking to thin air!

"I see." Mavis said with a nod as she read the guidelines. "Can I help?"

"Of course." Master reassured, standing up on the bar. "Hey, brats! Listen up!" Makarov yelled.

The bar became quiet once more. Natsu, who was currently surfing on an ale barrel, crash-landed into a table – making it the only noise in the vicinity. Master waited patiently as the Fire Dragon Slayer stood back up.

"Who's on the team this year?" Mavis asked to no one in particular. Five hands rose up in the air. The First Master carefully took note of the members for this year's Grand Magic Games.

"You five, come here. We have instructions from the coordinator to follow." Makarov said, waving the piece of paper in the air.

"What is it?" Erza asked, asking what everyone was thinking.

"We have to select a person to go for each game and battle before hand." Mavis answered. The rest of the guild members stayed quiet to listen in.

"Do we know the games?" Gray inquired.

"No." Makarov answered. "We don't even know the game titles like we did last year before sending someone out."

"So it won't matter who's on that list." Gajeel grunted.

"We have to think of injuries." Mavis countered. "Who is least likely to get injured too badly or who do we need for the battle portion."

"Don't forget the fourth day's battle is a tag battle so we need two people who work well together." Makarov said, staring at Natsu.

"That was Salamander's fault!" Gajeel complained loudly.

"Gi-hee." Natsu grinned innocently.

"Assuming we make it through the preliminaries tomorrow-" Makarov started to say.

"Of course we'll make it through." Natsu interrupted.

"Who wants to participate in the first game?" The Master asked. The group stayed quiet. Not even the other members of Fairy Tail dared to make a peep.

"Gray, would you like to start us off again?" Mavis asked with a bright, innocent, child-like smile that no one could disagree with.

"Sure, First Master." Gray accepted with a cool nod.

"Great. So I won't put you for that day's battle. Who wants that?" Makarov asked. Mavis silently looked around, her eyes narrowing fractionally but didn't say anything.

Natsu bit the inside of his cheek, looking away from the two Masters.

"I'll take it." Gajeel announced, shifting his eyes quickly to the Fire Dragon Slayer before looking straight at Makarov.

"Okay. And Day Two's game?" The Master asked.

"Why don't you take that one, Laxus?" Mavis asked, giving the Lightning Dragon Slayer the same smile she gave Gray. "You didn't participate in a game last year."

"Sure." Laxus said nonchalantly.

"Hopefully it's not Chariots again." Mira giggled.

"And the battle?" Makarov requested.

"I'll do that one." Gray insisted. "I didn't get a single battle last year."

"Is one day enough time for you to recover?" Mavis asked in concern. "You can have the battle on Day Three instead?"

"I think Natsu should take day two's battle." Makarov commented. "Gray, you can take the third day's battle. We have to make this list as strategic as possible."

"All right." Natsu said, pumping a fist in the air.

"Whatever you say." Gray said with a shrug, he didn't care when he got a battle as long as he got one.

"So Day Three's battle goes to Gray. Who wants the game?" Mavis asked curiously. "Natsu, you'd be coming out of the battle the day before, so going into the game wouldn't be to our advantage." Natsu pouted but didn't argue.

"Gajeel or Erza. Any takers?" Makarov asked, eyeing the two mages. "This is the same day as the Pandemonium challenge last year."

"If that's the case, I want it." Gajeel said with a smirk. "Can't have little miss S-class take all the glory." Erza lightly grinned.

"Day Four's game?" Makarov announced next. He looked at the quiet Fire Dragon Slayer, knowing exactly why Natsu was hesitating. "Natsu?"

"Okay." Natsu answered, taking a deep breath. He'd do it. Day Four's game was where she'd gotten seriously hurt. He'd do it for her.

"Is it all right that you don't participate in a game this year, Erza?" Mavis questioned.

"That is acceptable, First Master." The Re-quip wizard replied respectfully.

"Which means, you and Laxus will participate in the tag battle." Makarov said, eyeing the two S-class wizards.

"Too over powered." Romeo said in awe. "There's no way you guys can lose that."

"We will do our best." Erza agreed. The Lightning Dragon Slayer smirked, his arms crossed.

"Then it's settled." Makarov said with a sigh of relief, writing down the names on the list. The paper then magically disappeared in a flash of green, getting brought back to the coordinator of the Games. "There's no going back now."

"We have the right to use a substitute, correct?" Erza asked.

"Right." The Master answered.

"We just have to do our best tomorrow in the preliminaries." Wendy said, giving everyone a sweet smile.

Later that night, Master ordered everyone to get to bed. Preliminaries started early the next day and who knows what will happen.

"Third," Mavis called softly when it was just the two of them walking towards the inn. They opted to stay behind to make sure everyone got out of the bar and had a good nights sleep at the inn rather than on top of a table.

"What is it, First?" Makarov asked.

"That girl..." Mavis trailed off. "Did she quit? I didn't see her today." The Third/Sixth Master stopped walking. "Everyone seemed cautious when volunteering for the events Lucy partook in last year."

"She didn't quit." Makarov sighed. "Lucy disappeared while out on a mission." Mavis nodded, looking down towards the ground. A silence overtook the duo.

"I, too, have lost my fair share of members during my reign." Mavis whispered. "We've always searched, as I'm sure you're doing now."

"Of course."

"The only thing we can do," Mavis continued softly. "Is live for them."


	17. Everyone Versus Everyone Else

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: Everyone Versus Everyone Else

* * *

"Good morning, everyone! 'Kin!" Mato yelled into the microphone. "This year's preliminary rounds are going to be the biggest event in Grand Magic Games' history!"

The Grand Magic Games' mascot's voice echoed across all of Crocus through the speakers that were set up every so often around the city. Wizards, citizens, and tourists alike were sleepily peering out their windows and getting ready for the long day ahead. The sun was just rising above the horizon, casting a warm, orange glow onto the earth.

"It is currently six in the morning." Mato announced. "This year's preliminary event is one-on-one battles! Each guild will send out five team members who will be randomly selected to battle another wizard who is entered into the competition. Your guild will have to win at least three out of five one-on-one battles to pass through the preliminary rounds. Every guild is allowed to select any member they wish to participate, whether they are part of the main team or just another member of the guild. You have one hour to decide who will participate in the battles and have breakfast. A representative of the Grand Magic Games will go to the temporary lodgings of the guilds and teleport the participants into the arena. Remember, we are not responsible for any deaths that occur here. Good luck!"

* * *

…Sabertooth…

* * *

"It's so early!" Sting complained as he stretched his arms upwards. Sabertooth's Master walked into the hotel lobby where the rest of his guild gathered.

"What's the plan, Sting?" Rogue asked.

"Hm…" Sting hummed, looking at all of the members of his guild. "If we go all out and send in our main team, you guys risk injury."

"Yeah, but if the other guilds send in their best mages, will our reserve members be enough power?" Lector asked.

"Frosch thinks so too." Frosch agreed.

"Perhaps you can make a mixed group." Yukino suggested. "A few main team members and a couple of reserve members."

"Yeah," Sting approved slowly with a nod.

"Maybe have those competing on the later days enter the preliminary rounds?" Rufus added charismatically.

"Well, Sting?" Rogue asked.

"Who's the quickest at winning?" Sting mumbled to himself. "We'll take them out fast so there aren't too many injuries."

* * *

…Blue Pegasus…

* * *

"Man," Ichiya drawled out, pointing his fingers like a gun. "Master Bob, what shall we do?"

"Oh dear," Master Bob said, putting a hand on his cheek. "Why don't you have a try at it, Nichiya?"

"Man!" Nichiya replied with a nod.

The Trimens, excluding Ichiya, and Jenny sighed in horror. They'd need to do their best in the other four battles.

* * *

…Quatro Cerberus…

* * *

"Wild!" Everyone screamed. "Four!"

Bacchus Groh took a huge swallow of the alcoholic drink in his hands. He slammed it down on the table, exhaling a satisfying breath.

"Well, Bacchus?" Master Goldmine asked with a smirk. "Are you going in?" The S-Class mage lifted a brow as he took another drink, smiling into his glass.

* * *

...Lamia Scale…

* * *

"No way, putting Jura in now would be way too strong for these weaklings." Lyon argued.

"Don't make me spin you!" Master Ooba yelled, twirling her finger.

"You already are," Yuka said dizzily as his body spun in circles.

"I say we put in a reserve member. I'm more than enough to get one win." Lyon boasted. Chelia sighed. The Ice Make mage needed to cool his jets.

* * *

…Mermaid Heel…

* * *

"We will make this into a training session." Kagura instructed. "Those who go first tomorrow, be careful today. End your battle as quickly as possible with minimal injuries."

"You got it." Risley said with a cheeky smile.

"Nyaa!" Milliana made a cat noise in excitement, pumping a fist into the air.

* * *

…Fairy Tail…

* * *

"All right!" Natsu yelled in excitement as he jumped around.

"You're so noisy in the morning." Complained Cana who was slouching in her seat.

"Master?" Erza asked.

Makarov looked at his children. The main team contained some of his strongest members. That's not to say that the reserve members couldn't win against the main team in a fight, they were equally as strong. All of his picks were either S-Class members or those that participated in the S-Class exams. Even the youngest, Wendy, could hold her own against a more experienced wizard.

"We should go out and win all five battles, that way there are less teams to compete against during the next week of the Games." Makarov stated with a firm nod.

"The most teams that can qualify is forty-one out of the fifty entered." Mirajane said absently as she calculated the numbers with a light pen. "And the least is sixteen."

"Twenty minutes." Macao announced, keeping his eyes on the time. Fairy Tail had eaten an all-guild breakfast before making this important decision.

"Just say that I can go out there and kick their ass!" Natsu exclaimed, punching the air.

"Calm it down, flaming bastard." Gray scoffed. "Gramps has to think of this strategically."

"Hm…" Makarov hummed in thought. Other than today's preliminary rounds, everyone was still left in the dark about how the games will be run. With the amount of guilds that can make it through today, Makarov doubted it would be structured like last year. Would he need his best players to be completely uninjured?

"Whoever isn't participating should scout out the other mages. See what other teams have in their arsenal." Laxus suggested.

"Juvia thinks that's a good idea." Juvia agreed.

"Ten minutes." Macao announced again, becoming a bit frantic.

Makarov looked at the Sky Dragon Slayer. If he sent in Wendy so early, would she be hurt too badly? Would she be able to help treat the injured in her possibly wounded condition? Porlyusica was to come to Crocus later today. As Fairy Tail's official medical advisor, her services would be needed the most during the Grand Magic Games.

"Master?" Wendy asked curiously as she saw him stare at her.

"We need a decision, old man." Laxus pressured slightly.

"We're Fiore's number one wizards guild." Makarov exclaimed proudly. "It doesn't matter who we pick because we'll always have each other to rely on."

"I'm all fired up!" Natsu said with a grin, cracking his knuckles.

"Reserve members, go win it all." The Master announced; the Fire Dragon Slayer's energy instantly depleted in disappointment.

"We'll do our best." Mirajane said happily, standing up.

"Just in time." Wakaba mumbled as he stared at the official coming through the inn's door.

* * *

"He's alone." Lucy mumbled in surprise as images appeared in her mind.

"Looks like it." Loke replied, carefully eyeing their surroundings.

"Do you think the others are in Crocus?"

"I can check it out." He offered. "Will you be all right here?"

"Don't worry about me." Lucy said with a grin. "Musca is out."

"You know the rotation doesn't start until the first of July." Leo warned.

"Which is why you're still with me without using my magic." She replied, shrugging off the concern. "I can summon someone else if things get rough. And you didn't spend all that time training me for nothing, have a little faith." Lucy smiled at him, hoping he'd not worry about her too much. Loke relented with a nod. He lightly patted her head before jumping off of the roof they were on, careful to keep his pure white cloak on.

Crocus wasn't too far from where the two of them were. It was about a twenty-minute train ride to the capital. Lucy stared at the abandoned building in front of her. The building was roughly three stories high, the same size building as she was sitting on. The Celestial Spirit mage stealthily kept tabs on what was happening inside the abandoned building. Images and noises from inside filtered through her mind telepathically.

She absently rubbed the soft material of her white cloak. She and Loke had gotten them in the Celestial Spirit World. It was suppose to help suppress the amount of magic others can sense from them and snuff out their scent in case they ran into anyone or anything with a strong sense of smell. The hood was also good for concealing their face. Infiltrating the council for information and then spying on the person threatening Fairy Tail was dangerous work.

" _What do you mean they were never alone?" The man hissed. "It doesn't matter now. The preliminaries are starting and there are too many witnesses. Try again tonight."_

" _Yes sir."_

The man inside was talking through his communication magic. Lucy raised an eyebrow as she listened in on the conversation. Crap, he already started targeting the members. It was a good thing he couldn't get to anyone. Lucy sighed in relief at that.

" _Loke,"_ Lucy called in her mind.

" _Yes, princess?"_ The Lion Spirit answered telepathically.

" _Someone is already there targeting our members."_

" _I'm on it."_

The Celestial mage nodded, though she knew he couldn't see it. Lucy tilted her head back and leaned on her hands. The sky was a bright blue today, perfect weather for the preliminary rounds. Silently, Lucy sent luck and love to her guild as she closed her eyes.

The images and sounds from inside bombarded her mind, making her focus on the man instead. He sat at a broken desk, reading papers. Papers he no doubt stole. The papers were zoomed in on, allowing Lucy to read a little of it.

Fairy Tail founded in X686

Mavis Vermillion – Founder, First Master

Precht Gaebolg– Founder, Second Master

Warrod Sequen – Founder

Yury Dreyar – Founder

Why would he need to know about Fairy Tail's history? Lucy wondered. Her eyes were still closed as she concentrated on the words on the page. His body blocked part of it, but the Celestial mage read enough to know. She opened her eyes again, the bright sky making her eyes hurt slightly. The sunny day couldn't brighten up Lucy's mood after finding out what he was after. This cannot reach Fairy Tail. It will not reach them as long as Lucy can help it.

This was good practice for her. The task that the Spirit King had given her in exchange for her new magic was great. She'd make sure her Earth Land family was safe while things grew quiet in the Celestial World. Lucy will have to end this quick. Who knew when her friends in the other world would need her?

The man suddenly stood up, stuffing the papers in a drawer with a lock. Lucy tilted her head back down to look at the window she knew he was at thanks to her little and undetectable spy. Carefully staying hidden on the roof across from the abandoned building, Lucy spotted with her own eyes that the man stared outside. He looked around, making Lucy duck behind the chimney. He, undoubtedly, was making sure no one saw him before going out. When she couldn't see him at the window anymore, the images in her mind reappeared. He was heading to the door.

" _Lucy?"_

" _Take the papers."_ Lucy commanded telepathically, narrowing her eyes in anger as she saw him walk outside.

* * *

"We are about ready to go, ladies and gentlemen!" Chapati Lola exclaimed into the microphone in the announcer's booth inside Domus Flau. "A quick recap of the rules: any guild must win at least three matches to pass through the preliminary rounds. There will be five wizards from each guild going head to head in a one-on-one battle with a randomly chosen opponent. Each pairing will have thirty minutes to knock out their opponent. A tie in the battle will be counted as a loss for both teams. As you can see, there are five screens in the stadium. Five pairs will battle it out at the same time in different magically made arenas. You can choose who you wish to watch by moving around in the stands. This event lasts from now until 7:30 in the evening, folks! It's going to be a long day!"

"A twelve and a half hour preliminary round is quite a feat." Yajima said, staring at the wizards and audience members milling around below the announcers booth.

"As you can hear, we, once again, have Yajima-san with us this year!" Chapati said excitedly. "What guilds do you think will make it through?"

"There are fifty guilds total, which is two-hundred and fifty wizards." Yajima calculated out loud. "Which means 125 pairs. I will have to root for Fairy Tail again this year."

"Ah, yes, Fiore's, current, number one guild." Chapati said with a nod. "Let's see how they perform this year." The screens lit up as five pairs were ready to fight. "It looks like we're ready, ladies and gentlemen!"

A Grand Magic Games employee hit the gong, signaling for all current battles to start. Let the games begin.

* * *

"I hope they feed us." Elfman grumbled as he looked around.

All of the contestants were in a large hotel, each guild getting their own deluxe room. No one was allowed in or out, however. The roar of the crowd blasted from the lacrima vision screen in the living room area. At least they provided entertainment while the groups were stuck in there for the next twelve hours.

"I'm sure they will." Mirajane reassured.

"That's some intense fighting right off the bat." Wendy said nervously as she watched the battles. The lacrima-tron split into five sections, letting the contestants watch each battle avidly.

"They do have to at least try to win." Cana replied. "Without getting three, the Games are over for them before they even start."

"Juvia hopes she didn't pick someone too difficult to beat." Juvia sighed, looking at a numbered ball. In her hand was a light blue, table tennis ball sized sphere with the number 72 on it in black.

"Seventy-second pair, huh?" Mirajane mumbled, showing her own green ball. "I got 36."

"I can't believe their 'random' selection was letting everyone pick a ball in a huge container." Cana scoffed holding up a red sphere with 90 on it.

"And the officials went to each guild's room in alphabetical order." Wendy said, showing the group a white ball with 121.

"That's a high number, Wendy." Cana said, slightly shocked. 'F' wasn't that far down the alphabet.

"Looks like you're the last one." Elfman said to the Sky Dragon Slayer, holding up a yellow ball with 14 printed on it. Wendy sighed as her nerves started to take over.

"Relax, Wendy." Mira said, rubbing the young girl's back. "You have a long time to prepare yourself."

"By the time it's your turn, you might not even have to worry about winning or losing." Cana reassured.

"Juvia believes in you." Juvia said kindly, smiling at the other blue haired girl.

"The more teams we knock out, the better." Wendy said in determination, fisting her hands by her chest. "I'll do my best no matter what."

"We'll all do our best." Mira replied. "Let's win this, for our guild!"

"Fairy Tail!" The group yelled together happily.

* * *

"This is boring." Natsu sighed, slumping against the stone half wall that barricaded the audience from the fighting arena.

"We're supposed to be watching the other contestants." Gray sighed.

"Hey, aren't those two from Fairy Tail?" A woman whispered, though it was loud enough for the two of them to hear.

"Yeah, those two are some of their top wizards." Another woman replied. "I'm shocked they weren't sent into the preliminary rounds."

Gray's eyebrow ticked slightly. So this is what it was like to be talked about behind his back, literally. The two women weren't being very discrete about it either.

"Great, I get to watch Rogue totally destroy one of those Twilight Ogre mages." Natsu said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. "It has only been seven minutes."

"It looks like the luck of the draw." The Ice Make wizard said with a shrug. The two of them eyed the screen. Rogue and the Twilight Ogre mage were teleported back to the holding area for the participants. The lacrima-tron changed to show the current score for that area of the arena.

Sabertooth 1-0

Twilight Ogre 0-1

* * *

"It sure is chaotic out here." Mavis said in awe as she walked alongside Fairy Tail's current Master, Makarov.

"As expected of such a big event." He replied, checking the lacrima-trons set up around the city. "None of our members have appeared yet."

"They must've picked higher numbers." Mavis suggested. She paused in her steps, making Makarov look back at her.

"Something wrong?"

"It's probably nothing." Mavis said, catching up to the old man. "I thought I sensed some odd magic for a second, but it disappeared before I could even get a read on it."

"We should be careful." Makarov agreed, narrowing his eyes at the space between two stores. Whereas Mavis had felt a strange magic, Makarov sensed a familiar one, but it, too, had disappeared too quickly for him to tell.

* * *

"Shit, he got away." Loke hissed quietly as he ran into an alley. The Lion Spirit looked back at the oblivious Makarov and Mavis, making sure his target didn't double back around. Though, Leo was sure his target couldn't even see Mavis. The two Masters looked around.

Loke had to make sure he caught the person before his target was able to make it back to the man Lucy was watching, or else their cover would be blown. Though his cloak kept his identity a secret, it didn't hurt to be extra careful. Question is: whom would his target go after next? Was his target desperate enough to go after someone in such a crowded place?

* * *

Erza sat alone in the audience in front of lacrima-tron number three. The rest of Fairy Tail had scattered when the preliminaries started, going in groups to various places. Some went to the other screens while others went into the city to enjoy themselves before switching with another group at the arena to watch. The Re-quip mage took her eyes off of the screen to look around. It looked like Fairy Tail wasn't the only team to think of watching the other guilds to see what type of wizards were competing.

* * *

Round 3: Pairs 11-15

Elfman Strauss vs. Minke Sumiko of Barguest Shadow Guild

* * *

Elfman stood face to face with a woman with long light purple hair and gray eyes. Her figure was similar to his younger sister, Lisanna. Minke Sumiko wore a black bodysuit comparable to a one-piece bathing suit. The body suit was connected to long sleeves at the top, creating a triangular shaped hole at her cleavage. She also wore black thigh high boots with a three-inch heel and in her hair was a white flower.

She was cute, Elfman thought. He was having a hard time seeing her as a threat.

"Good luck." Minke said and smiled at her opponent genuinely.

"You, too." Elfman replied.

The gong sounded.

Minke's body glowed a light blue, her hair flowing upwards as her magic pushed up a gust of wind. Minke's completely black outfit was now lined with light blue lights. Her boots transformed to look like it attached to her body like a machine part. The white flower in her hair turned black and was now made of metal. On one of her eyes was a small screen that showed numbers similar to computer data.

Elfman narrowed his eyes, quickly changing forms. He turned into his normal Beast Soul form, unsure what his opponent had in store. The Take-Over mage rushed forward, swiping his claws at her. She nimbly jumped upwards, flipping over him. Minke held her hands as if she were holding something long.

"Mecha Magic: Machine Gun!" Minke chanted. In her hands appeared a black machine gun with blue lights lining it. She quickly fired it off. Elfman dodged as best he could, though the fast moving bullets nicked him.

Elfman changed forms into the Weretiger, now easily dodging her swift attacks. Turning around, he lunged at her, almost able to slice at her body. Minke, however, bent backwards, narrowly dodging the attack. She did a back flip to get back on her feet and chanted another Mecha magic spell. This time, robotic black wings appeared from her back. Minke rushed forward at five times her normal speed plus flight.

The Mecha mage created a sword, swinging it at Elfman. He easily caught the blade in his hand. Though the blade left a cut, she wasn't strong enough to deal too much damage. When her sword was caught, Minke twisted her body to kick the Take-Over mage in the side, sending him a few yards away. Okay, so she was stronger than he originally thought.

* * *

"What is he doing out there?" Gray asked with a straight face as he saw the significantly smaller woman kick Elfman like he was a soccer ball.

"I haven't seen Mecha magic in a long time." Erza said softly. She had rejoined her small group earlier during the second round.

"What does it do exactly?" Happy asked from Natsu's shoulder.

"Mecha magic turns the user into something comparable to a super computer." The Re-quip mage explained. "It will also increase durability, strength, and speed, depending on how the user chooses to apply it. They can create any kind of weapon and machinery on the spot, as well."

"Sounds impressive." Charle said.

"Looks impressive." Natsu added, watching the screen with interest.

* * *

"I was kind of afraid coming into this fight," Minke admitted as she watched him get up. "I mean, you are Fairy Tail, after all."

"And you're not anymore?" Elfman asked, changing forms once again. Speed wasn't the way to beat her, especially when she had speed as well.

"You haven't even landed a hit on me." She replied, creating a bazooka. "And see this chip?" Minke asked, pointing at the see through chip in front of her eye. "It stored all the data on the Take-Overs that you've used in front of me."

Elfman transformed into Beast Soul: Belcusas. Belcusas was a completely mechanical beast created by Rustyrose of Grimoire Hearts.

"Doesn't matter if you've never seen the one I'm using at the moment."

"You're really going to use machinery against my Mecha magic?" Minke asked in surprise. "How well do you know your hardware?"

"Never underestimate Fairy Tail." He said as the bazooka launched at him.

The explosion reverberated through the air. When the smoke cleared, Minke didn't have time to dodge when she saw Elfman directly in front of her. The Take-Over mage easily entrapped the woman in his hand, squeezing her. Minke screamed lightly as her body was being squished. With some effort to concentrate, guns of all shapes and sizes appeared at the top of her mechanical wings. She fired.

More clouds of smoke enclosed the area. Elfman had heavy damage to the arm that wasn't holding the woman when he tried to block the shots. He then threw her into the closest wall. The Mecha mage grunted as her body impacted harshly to the solid material, her wings disappearing from damages.

"Strength increase by three times." Minke whispered as her computer chip calculated the increase in strength of her opponent, then eyed the arm she had marred on him. "Defenses of normal machinery."

Elfman charged once again. She slowly got up, creating a metal barrier in front of her. The Take-Over mage slammed his fists into the wall, making large dents. Suddenly, bombs went off, casting fire every which way. Elfman jumped away from the burnt area, though one of his legs was caught in the flames.

"Manly," Elfman grunted through the pain. He ran at her again when she let the barrier fall. Minke narrowed her eyes, creating another set of wings and flying above him. The Take-Over mage was ready this time. He grabbed her ankle and slammed her into the ground faster than she could create any other kind of weapon. The Mecha mage put her hands in front of her, palms facing him. Two blue spheres appeared, shooting lasers at him.

Elfman let the lasers hit his injured arm, one laser shooting straight through the limb. The Take-Over mage then punched her in the head, just enough to knock her unconscious.

* * *

Round 8: Pairs 36-40

Mirajane Strauss vs. Sienna Razorclaw of Raicho Wing Guild

* * *

Sienna swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Mirajane stood in front of her with a sweet smile. She shouldn't be fooled by such a smile. Mirajane Strauss was known as the She-Devil and one of Fairy Tail's S-Class wizards. Out of all the guilds and participants, she had to choose the same ball number as Mirajane.

"Let's have a good match." Mirajane said good-naturedly as she assessed her opponent. Sienna looked a few years younger than herself, with short chocolate brown hair and bright green eyes.

"Right." Sienna replied unevenly, her nerves getting the better of her.

The employee hit the gong. Mira didn't even flinch as she waited for her opponent to make the first move, not bothering to transform just yet. Sienna visibly swallowed another nervous lump before taking out a few Live-Coal Containers.

Plant magic, Mira thought as she watched the Live-Coal Containers get thrown her way.

The seeds planted themselves into the ground, creating plant knuckles that went straight for the Take-Over mage. The knuckles impacted with the ground, generating a dust cloud. Sienna waited nervously, holding more Live-Coal Containers in her hand. When the dust cloud disappeared, Mirajane wasn't there anymore. Frantically, the Plant mage looked around. The Take-Over mage was above Sienna in her basic Satan Soul form, her wings enabling her to fly.

"Soul Extinction!" Mira yelled, sending a stream of black and purple energy towards her opponent. Sienna, too frightened to move, closed her eyes and blocked her face with her arms.

* * *

"Mira should take it easy." Laki sighed sympathetically for the girl from Raicho Wing.

"The girl was scared enough when she entered the rink and saw Mira standing there with a sweet smile." Alzack said with an uneasy laugh.

"Well, at least they both aren't as injured as Elfman." Bisca replied, carrying her daughter, Asuka, who cheered.

* * *

Round 15: Pairs 71-75

Juvia Lockser vs. Klaes Walentowicz of Valkyrie Soul Guild

* * *

Klaes Walentowicz was a large man with a build similar to her Gray-sama. He had medium length lime green hair and magenta eyes, making Juvia believe he looked like a bright watermelon. Klaes was around the same age as Laxus, who was older than Juvia by a few years. He wore an open black leather jacket with no shirt, showcasing his abs, and loose leather pants. Klaes stood in front of the Water mage with little emotion, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

The gong rang.

Juvia stood in a battle stance as Klaes charged forward with amazing speed without any use of magic. He punched Juvia in the face, creating a watery hole in her head. Without flinching, Juvia pivoted her body to roundhouse kick him, impacting on his upper torso. Klaes scoffed, flipping back onto his feet. He launched towards her once more, his fist alight with lightning. The Water mage dodged the attack, sending her fist towards his abdominals. Klaes smirked, transforming his body into electricity and easily dodging her attack.

The Lightning mage appeared behind Juvia, sending a lightning strike her way. The Water mage screamed in pain, but focused enough to raise her hands to her side. Two water columns manifested beside Klaes. The water began to rotate into a cyclone, crashing into each other with the Lightning mage in the middle. The lightning attack stopped, allowing Juvia a slight reprieve.

"Water Slicer!" She yelled, sending her attack into the middle of the water cyclones.

Electricity burst through all the water, sending another jolt straight into her. Klaes scoffed once more, slamming his conjoined fists into the ground. He sent small shoots of electricity flowing, having it follow all of the water on the ground, creating an electrical field.

* * *

"That's a bad match up for Juvia." Pantherlily said. "Water conducts electricity."

"Which Juvia is weak to," Levy sighed worriedly.

"She'll be all right." Gajeel replied, picking his teeth to get the scraps left from lunch out.

"On that electrical field though?" Droy asked with uncertainty.

"She's definitely a trooper." Jet said, wincing as he saw Juvia get hit with an extra powerful lightning attack thanks to all of the electricity surrounding her.

* * *

"Water Claw!" Juvia yelled, punching at her opponent. Torrents of water followed her hand.

"Thunder Strike!" Klaes yelled back, throwing a punch with electricity around his fist. The two fists collided, creating an explosion strong enough to send both fighters to opposite ends of the arena.

Juvia's body hit the ground, rolling on top of the electric field. She took more damage as the electricity crawled up her body. The Water mage had deactivated the spell that turned her body into water, however the electricity clung on. Juvia shakily stood up, panting slightly. Her clothes were torn and barely hanging on.

Klaes knocked into the ground once, before bouncing onto his feet and skidding to a stop. He stood up as well, surrounding his body in electricity. The Lightning mage didn't look any better than Juvia, though he kept his breathing even.

They had five minutes left in the battle. The Water mage quickly scanned her surroundings. She'd have to end it or take him down with her for a loss. The battlefield was still riddled with stray electricity, damaging Juvia every time she touched the ground. She carefully eyed Klaes. Since he wasn't a Slayer-type wizard, the electricity, although powering up his attacking moves, was slowly damaging him as well. Juvia's eyes widened at the realization.

Klaes narrowed his eyes. She was thinking of something. He'd have to stop her. Klaes conjured up a ball of electricity in his hands, the ball slowly getting bigger as the seconds ticked by.

Juvia straightened her arms out on both sides of her, her hands glowing blue with magic. She spun in a circle, gathering up all of the electricity filled puddles of water before pushing her arms forward to aim at Klaes.

"Water Lock!" Juvia yelled, sending all of the gathered water to him. A sphere of water surrounded Klaes. He looked around in shock. The lightning ball in his hand exploding from getting exposed to such a strong conductor like water, his attack also getting powered up by the other stray electrical currents. Klaes gave out a watery scream as his attack backfired on him.

* * *

Round 18: Pairs 86-90

Cana Alberona vs. Taiki Oshiro of Mormo Bite Guild

* * *

"You've already won three battles, care to give me this one?" Taiki asked charmingly, flipping his dark purple hair and sending a wink with his light brown eyes.

"Your pretty boy attitude isn't going to work on me." Cana replied with a smirk, fanning out cards in her hand before throwing them. The shuriken like cards were easily dodged.

"I don't want to hurt such a pretty lady like yourself." Taiki tried again.

"I'm under orders to defeat you so there are less guilds to go up against later. Sorry." Cana said with a shrug and a small smile.

"If you insist." He sighed, waiting for her next move. The Card mage raised an eyebrow, careful to select her next card. What was he up to?

Cana grabbed a few more cards, sending them at her opponent. He didn't even flinch. Taiki raised his arms up slowly, making an odd motion with his hands. Her cards suddenly transformed into a big origami heart before exploding with the magic she had put in them.

"What was that?" Cana mumbled to herself, hesitant to grab another card.

"Origami Magic, my sweet." Taiki said, slowly walking towards her. "You can still quit. Your cards will have no effect as long as I can control them."

"So you control paper to your will?" She asked, summoning up three cards. "Heaven, Reverse Death, Mountain!" Cana threw them into the air as they projected green lightning at Taiki. He raised an eyebrow, making another motion with his hands. Her three cards became a full-sized origami crane flying around in the air and shooting lightning at her. The Card mage jumped out of the way, the electricity leaving a jagged mark into the earth.

"I told you, your cards have no effect on me." Taiki sighed, motioning for the crane to go after her.

"We'll see about that." Cana replied, conjuring up another card. "Prayer Fountain!" She placed the card on the ground, letting the water shoot out towards her opponent. Taiki exhaled once more, transforming the water card into an origami sunfish. It flopped around on the ground, sending strong shoots of water out of its' mouth.

* * *

"What is Cana thinking?" Max asked in confusion. "She's sending out more and more cards, knowing that he's just going to control them."

"Hopefully she has a plan and isn't just being reckless." Warren said.

"Oui." Reedus agreed, carefully taking note of the battle. There were now three different Prayer Fountain cards that had been transformed into different animals, sending water everywhere. Besides those, the lightning crane was still floating around, shooting electricity wherever Cana stepped.

"It looks like she's creating a pool to me." Nab added as he saw Vijeeter dance beside him.

* * *

"Are you trying to flood us out?" Taiki asked in irritation.

"No," Cana said, dodging another strike of lightning. "But you could say Juvia taught me a thing or two." Taiki raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Sun's Strength!" She yelled, throwing a few cards at him. The cards got covered in fire, making them appear like high-speed firebombs. The Origami mage dodged them, using his origami sunfish to put it out.

Cana suddenly appeared beside him, pushing him backwards. He took a step back to regain his balance, wetting his feet as he stepped into a large puddle. A magic circle appeared under him, sending a beam up electricity upwards. Taiki screamed in pain, his control of the origami faltering.

"I set that trap while you were busy putting out the fire." Cana said with a wink. "Think my cards can't hurt you now?"

* * *

Final Round, 7PM

Round 25: Pairs 121-125

Wendy Marvell vs. Demetrio Steele of Amanojaku Guild

* * *

Wendy stood in front of Demetrio Steele, waiting for the gong to sound. Demetrio was a man in his early twenties with dark gray hair and black eyes. Right now, the man did not looked pleased.

"I finally get to have a match with Fairy Tail, and they send out a little kid?" He scoffed, crossing his arms. The gong echoed through the area. "Why don't you do us a favor and surrender? I don't want to hurt a little girl."

"I dislike fighting." Wendy admitted softly, clenching her fists. "But I will if it's for my guild."

"Oh will you now?" Demetrio taunted.

"Amanojaku Guild." Wendy stated, staring him straight in the eyes, ignoring his comment. "Two wins, two losses."

"I'll easily just defeat you and we can be on our way."

"Fairy Tail believes in me." Wendy whispered to herself, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. She refused to let this man get to her. "Good luck."

"I don't think I'm the one who'll be needing luck." He scoffed. Demetrio's eyes suddenly glowed bright yellow, his body transforming into a demon similar to Deliora. Their surroundings turned pitch black, flames appearing all around them. The Sky Dragon Slayer's eyes widened as he sent a large fist towards her, intending to crush her small body into the ground.

"Vernier!" Wendy chanted, increasing her speed. She easily dodged the attack, jumping high into the air. Midair, she cast more spells on herself, "Arms, Armor!"

"As if you can hurt me." Demetrio said in a deep voice. He roared, sending a beam of magic towards her from his mouth.

"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy countered. The two attacks collided.

* * *

"What is she doing?" Bickslow asked as he observed Wendy's roar fly straight above Demetrio, not even close to landing the hit.

"Illusion magic." Mavis replied. She watched as Wendy dodged attacks that were never there and send powerful streams of air towards an opponent that was only in her mind. The real Demetrio stood unmoving with a smug look.

"Will she be all right?" Evergreen questioned.

Master Makarov narrowed his eyes at the screen in front of them. Will she be all right? Their little Dragon Slayer definitely picked a problematic opponent.

"She has a good head on her shoulders." Freed said, though he wasn't sure if that was enough.

"She's a Dragon Slayer. Little or not, she'll put up a good fight." Laxus said matter-of-factly.

* * *

"Sky Dragon's Crushing Fangs!" Wendy yelled as she swiped at the demon in front of her. Her attack left marks that quickly disappeared as she landed back onto the ground. All of her attacks that landed were healing as if they were never there. "Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!"

"You can't hurt me, little girl." The demon Demetrio provoked as he swiped his bulky hand at her, sending her body straight into a wall. Wendy grunted in pain as stones rained down on her.

"Ouch," She whimpered, getting up with a wince. Her ankle had gotten injured earlier, now blood slowly ran down from her forehead, making Wendy close an eye. "Now what?"

Demetrio didn't seem to be in a rush to attack her, so Wendy took this time to eat air discreetly.


	18. Callousness

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen: Callousness

* * *

July 1, X792

* * *

"What are you doing, Natsu? We have to go." Erza asked on her way out of the hotel's door.

"Help me write on my hand, will you?" Natsu asked instead, holding up a black marker. "I can't write with my left hand."

"What are you writing?" Gray asked as the group walked up to the Fire Dragon Slayer who was sitting on a lounge chair in the lobby.

"L.H." Natsu answered, holding out his right hand, palm facing down.

"L.H.?" Wendy asked, taking the marker.

"Lucy Heartfilia." Natsu replied.

"Why are you writing her initials on your hand?" Happy questioned.

"So when we go out there, she'll know we're still thinking about her." The Fire Dragon Slayer said with a shrug. "Just in case she's watching."

"Why don't we have Master put it on us with some magic?" Erza suggested, smiling slightly and urging Natsu to get up. "That way it won't rub off so easily."

"You're going to be late." Charle reminded. "Hurry, the Master said he would meet with the main team by the guild's seating balcony before sending you guys into the stadium."

* * *

"Welcome, 'kin, to the first day of the Grand Magic Games!" Mato cheered into the microphone as he jumped around in excitement. "We will start out by introducing the teams that have made it through the preliminary rounds! Twenty-six of the fifty guilds that have entered made it through yesterday's chaos. Two teams have even passed undefeated: Sabertooth and Fairy Tail!"

Sabertooth's Rogue, Yukino, Orga, Rufus, and Dobengal stepped out of the eastern gates. The group looked composed, not flinching at the cheers and hollers. At the western gates, Fairy Tail's Natsu, Gray, Erza, Laxus, and Gajeel walked out. Laxus and Gajeel hardly showed any emotions, whereas Natsu smiled widely. Gray and Erza gave small grins – it was good to have supporters this year.

Natsu pointed his index finger in the air, extending his thumb. The Fire Dragon Slayer showed off his newly marked right hand. The other four Fairy Tail members followed suit, also showing their guild mate's initials to the crowd. The members of their guild in the audience performed their signal, as well. Everyone had his or her right hand marked for their friend, for their family.

"Even if I can't see you…" Natsu thought out loud.

* * *

"No matter how far away you may be…" Makarov said softly, holding up his arm proudly.

* * *

"I'll always be watching over you." Lucy delicately finished, doing the guild's signal under her cloak. A silent tear ran down her face, the liquid shining in the bright sunlight.

"They sure don't change." Loke said quietly. He and Lucy stood near a crowd that was avidly watching a big lacrima-tron set up in the middle of Crocus. "Are you okay, princess?" The Lion Spirit asked as he turned to her.

"Yeah," Lucy sniffled, wiping away her tears. "Let's look around some more."

"There's not much we can do with so many people around." He informed. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"Anyone associated with him that wants to blend in." Lucy replied with a shrug as she walked out into the open streets. "Kind of like we are." She grinned.

"This is inconspicuous." Loke said with a roll of his eyes. Though their cloaks kept their faces hidden, it attracted a lot of attention.

"As long as we don't do anything weird, I'm sure they'll leave us alone."

"If you say so, princess." He said in defeat. The two of them walked around the city, carefully watching the Games through the various lacrima-trons set up around the city.

"Look for any holes, too. Anywhere where they can get to our members." Lucy said absently, happily walking around. "It's been so long since we've been in a city."

"You've been to the Celestial World's city."

"A human one." Lucy giggled. She turned her head when a sign caught her eye. "Oh! A magic shop! Let's go in!" The Celestial mage grabbed her Spirit's hand, dragging him in.

"Is that such a good idea?" Loke replied, letting her pull him along. "Do you even have any money?"

"I still have that reward I got for transporting those stones." Lucy replied, opening the door to the store. A little bell chimed.

"And your rent?"

Lucy paused.

"I forgot!" She groaned in dismay.

"Don't worry, I'll help you earn some more money." Leo laughed.

"Hopefully my landlady didn't sell my stuff." Lucy sighed, walking to a random section in the store.

"She was kind enough to keep the place for you for those seven years. I'm sure she'll wait just one more." Loke reassured.

"I can't believe that it has already been a year since they last saw me." She whispered, lightly touching a crystal ball. "I miss them."

"By today's performance, they miss you, too." He said, patting her head. "You'll see them soon."

"Hopefully."

Loke walked to a different section of the store. A familiar magic called out to him. On a cushioned pillow inside of a box, sat a set of three Celestial Keys. The silver keys were well shined by the owner, making them glint against the artificial lighting in the back of the store.

"Lucy, these might interest you more than crystal balls." Loke joked, calling her over. His owner walked over to him, eyeing the sparkling metal.

"Wow," She whispered in awe, picking one up. "I've always wanted to own Caelum's key. He seemed so useful when Angel of Oración Seis used him against us."

"Yeah, it hurt like hell." Loke grumbled, rubbing his abs where Caelum's laser had shot through him. Lucy patted his back in apology.

"I'm going to see how much this is." She said, walking to the front of the store where the owner was behind a counter. "Excuse me, sir, how much is this key?"

"U-um," The man said nervously, eyeing the cloaked figure. "30,000 Jewels."

"That's more than Plue's key." Lucy sighed but pulled out the reward money from her last mission.

"You're not even thinking about twelve months of rent, are you?" Loke asked dryly.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay to be out here?" Cana asked as she looked at Wendy's bandaged ankle. The crowd in the stadium cheered as yet another team was introduced. "The illusions were fake, but your injuries are one-hundred percent real."

"I'm all right, Cana-san." Wendy reassured, smiling with her hands behind her back innocently.

"Take a seat so you don't put too much pressure on it." Mira suggested, scooting over. The Sky Dragon Slayer sat down.

"You've grown a lot." Mavis commented, beaming at the young girl. "You finished the battle and came back with enough magic left to heal the others."

"I-It was nothing." Wendy replied sheepishly.

"It was manly!" Elfman disagreed. "He never saw it coming."

* * *

…

* * *

" _Ouch," Wendy whimpered, getting up with a wince. Her ankle had gotten injured earlier, now blood slowly ran down from her forehead, making Wendy close an eye. "Now what?"_

 _Demetrio didn't seem to be in a rush to attack her, so Wendy took this time to eat air discreetly. The air tasted fresh. The Sky Dragon Slayer's eyes widened. The air tasted clean, which was odd since fire was raging all around them. How did the fire start, exactly? Wendy couldn't remember, or rather, realized that there was no fire to begin with._

 _After replenishing some of her magic, Wendy took in the scents around her. The monster didn't have a smell at all. In fact, Demetrio's scent was coming from the right side of the arena. Closing her eyes, the Sky Dragon Slayer decided to rely on her nose. She pretended to aim her attack at the monstrosity in front of her._

" _Dragon Slayer's Secret Art," Wendy whispered, wind gathering around her arms. "Shattering Light: Sky Drill!"_

* * *

…

* * *

"You should be proud." Juvia encouraged sweetly. "Juvia thanks you, again, for healing her."

"There's no need to thank me." Wendy insisted. Charle smiled from her seat next to Happy on the half wall. Wendy sure has grown up.

* * *

"And that is all twenty-six teams! Everyone, please return to your guild's designated seating or main team viewing area. Today's game will begin in twenty minutes! 'Kin!" Mato yelled happily.

Team Fairy Tail greeted some friends along the way to their seating balcony, each side congratulating the other on making it through the preliminaries.

"I don't understand why Lucy or Freed have their guild mark here." Natsu said as he held up his right hand, eyeing the temporary L.H. mark. "Every time my hand passes my vision I just get the urge to look at what's on my hand."

"Idiot." Laxus scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Say that to my face." Natsu fought back.

"I did." The Lightning Dragon Slayer growled.

"You're not going to stop them?" Gray asked to Erza. She shrugged.

"It was a stupid comment." Gajeel grunted, rolling his eyes.

"Welcome back." Mira greeted as the group walked into the seating balcony.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia exclaimed, love-struck. The Water mage clung onto Gray's arm. "Gray-sama looked so handsome out there."

"Uh…" The Ice Make mage responded slowly as he tried to peel his arm away. "Thanks…"

"Are you ready, Gray?" Cana asked, drinking a bottle of hard liquor.

"More or less." Gray replied with a shrug.

"Give it your best out there." Mavis encouraged, a certain glint in her eyes. "Keep us at the top!" The Ice Make mage laughed nervously.

Natsu stood away from the guild's boisterous noise. He stared above the stadium at the bright blue sky, his elbows leaning on the half wall. Maybe Lucy was staring at the same sky. Could she see how sunny it was today? In a few minutes, they were going to send Gray into the arena. With what happened last year, Natsu silently asked for Lucy to give them luck. Wherever she was, Natsu hoped she could hear him.

* * *

"You might get spotted here." Doranbolt warned.

"It's all right. No one's really looking." The Celestial mage reassured, gazing around to make sure no one was actually watching them. The two of them were on top of one of the huge humanoid statues that surrounded the arena. Lucy was sitting inside the ring on top of the staff the statue was holding while Doranbolt stood next to her, making sure she didn't fall.

"What are we doing here, anyways?" He asked.

"The Games are about to start." Lucy said, smiling brightly. "I want to see off whoever we send in. Give them luck for the first day, you know?"

"Can't you just watch from the viewing balcony?"

"They'll see me." Lucy chastised. "You know we can't let them see me until we take care of you-know-who."

"If you insist." Doranbolt sighed, laying a hand on her head, silently supporting her.

* * *

"Welcome, everyone, to the first day of the Grand Magic Games!" Chapati Lola announced, his voice blaring through the stadium. "This year's Games are quite the feat with a lot of new rules put in place.

"Day One through Day Four will have a mini game followed by a battle, similar to last year. However, only the top three players will be rewarded points. 10 points for first place, 6 points for second place, and 4 points for third place!

"For the battle round, each guild will, once again, go head to head. The audience will get to decide which guild goes up against each other. Voting lacrimas are set up outside of the arena so please select any pairing for today's battle round. The Grand Magic Games committee will be taking votes until the end of the mini game round, so hurry and put in your thoughts! Another new feature for this year's Games is when a guild loses in the battle round, they are immediately eliminated out of the Grand Magic Games!

"There is one more rule, folks! Guilds will be rewarded points during the mini games, correct? Ten points equals a 'revival' which means that a guild can sacrifice ten points to stay in the Games if they lose in the battle round. What do you think these new rules bring to the table, Yajima-san?" Chapati Lola finally finished.

"Yes, they certainly bring a certain level of anxiety knowing that with just one misstep during the battle round, they can be eliminated." Yajima answered. "This year's competition will be a rough one."

"Absolutely." Chapati agreed. "We have two beautiful guest judges with us today, ladies and gentleman. Please welcome the top two leading female glamour models in wizardry, Jenny Realight and Mirajane Strauss!"

* * *

"When the hell did she get over there?" Natsu gasped, frantically looking around as if he could find Mira in the Fairy Tail viewing balcony.

"She left five minutes ago." Lisanna informed with a small laugh.

"Did you burn your brain to ash, matchstick?" Gray taunted.

"Oh yeah, ice cube?" Natsu growled, pushing his forehead into Gray's.

"Gray, save your magic." Erza warned.

* * *

"It's good to be here, Chapati-san." Jenny and Mira said at the same time. Jenny gave Mira a small glare but the Fairy Tail mage just smiled brightly.

"Tell me, ladies, as members of two very prestigious guilds, what do these new rules mean to you?" Chapati asked.

"Blue Pegasus is still fighting. We rank fifth best guild in Fiore so we won't be easy to take down." Jenny said smugly. "Having these new rules will just mean we will have to try harder."

"You heard her yourself, ladies and gentleman. Blue Pegasus, fifth best guild in Fiore, is not going to be an easy opponent." Chapati announced. "And what about for Fairy Tail, Mirajane? A lot of guilds during the preliminaries were afraid to go up against you, and rightfully so, seeing as your guild went undefeated."

"We just do the best we can every time we step out into the arena." Mira answered with a sweet voice. "We don't go out there for our own pride, but for the sake of us as a whole, as a family. We'll show the world what we can do when we're together."

"I see that everyone in your guild is sporting the initials L.H. on their right hand." Chapati noticed, publicizing it to everyone listening. "I'm sure not everyone in the audience is aware of what this means. Would you like to explain it to us?"

"Sure." Mirajane agreed, taking a look around from the announcer's booth and realizing she had everyone's attention. "Wizardry… Is a dangerous occupation. As everyone is well aware of, we showcase a tremendous amount of power every time any one of us steps into the arena. It doesn't matter if a guild is the best in Fiore or the worst; magic and the jobs that come with it can be quite perilous."

Jenny, Chapati, and Yajima nodded in agreement. Competition aside, this was something all guilds could relate to. Jenny laid a comforting hand on her model rival's shoulder.

"Sadly, one of our Fairy Tail family members disappeared almost a full year ago; eleven months, really." Mirajane continued courageously. "She had her guild mark on her right hand, where the rest of us have her initials placed."

"So you have her initials displayed in her honor and memory?" Chapati asked to clarify.

"Sort of." Mira replied, her smile back in place. "She might not be with us, but that doesn't mean we don't have hope that she's out there somewhere. Just in case she's watching, we want her to know we're still thinking of her. That we're still looking."

"That's a very thoughtful gesture from you and your guild." Yajima said kindly. "Mackey must be proud of you lot."

"I and, I am sure, everyone that is listening, hopes for the safe return of your comrade." Chapati said, still maintaining his professionalism.

"Thank you." Mira replied melodiously to the both of them. "Why don't we start off today's mini game portion?"

"You heard the lady, everyone!" Chapati exclaimed. "Today's mini game is called: Ribbon Wars!"

* * *

"Sounds… feminine." Gray said dryly. Natsu fell onto the floor, laughing and clutching his stomach.

"I bet – HAHA – I bet you have to – pft – dance with ribbons!" The Fire Dragon Slayer gasped out, still cackling. "Whoever dances the best: wins!" Natsu pictured Gray in a hot pink ballerina tutu, a big bow in his hair, and long ribbons in his hands – mixing two sports together. He knew Gray wasn't a dancer, which was why the thought was hilarious. The stiff, robotic movements by Gray would definitely land them in last place, but it would be absolutely worth it to see his rival humiliate himself.

"Quiet." Erza commanded. "Gray needs to hear the rules."

* * *

Chapati Lola spoke charismatically into the microphone, "Remember, everyone, only the top three finishes are rewarded points: ten points for first place, six points for second place, and four points for third place.

"The rules to Ribbon Wars are simple. It is you against everyone else, that means every guild for themselves. Each participant will receive a ribbon and it has to be tied to the right wrist. The objective in this game is to steal other player's ribbons, which means that the player that loses the ribbon is out of the game. If a wizard loses in a fight, that also means that you have stolen their ribbon and they are out, as well.

"Everyone is free to use magic and there is no time limit. To win, you have to be the last one standing." Chapati announced. "This year, every guild has already selected a member to participate in each game _and_ battle! So guilds, send your player down!"

Twenty-six competitors trickled in from the stands.

"It looks like there are already some reserve members going in." Jenny commented. The announcers and guests had the list for today's participants so they can commentate correctly.

"It was quite a rough preliminary round." Yajima added, reading through the names.

* * *

Down in the stadium, Mato was waiting excitedly for the players to make their way down from their viewing balcony. The mascot looked over all of the participants, checking to see if they were the correct wizard or a reserve wizard.

"It looks like everyone is here, 'kin!" Mato said. "Everyone will be playing in this area." The mascot put up his hand, signaling for the games committee to do their job. Around them, a city started to appear like last year during the Hidden game. Mato disappeared from the battlefield, conveniently. Around the wrist of every wizard materialized a white ribbon tied in a cute bow. It was tied loosely enough to easily be detached, but snug enough to be kept on while running or battling.

* * *

"Looks like we're already split up." Gray mumbled, carefully looking around. He absently held onto his right wrist. The bow was obnoxiously big.

The Ice Make wizard stepped out of the alley he was placed in. He walked around the fake city with little stealth. It was best to get them to come to him. Minutes passed by with no inkling of the other players. Gray now stood in the middle of a small park, next to a running fountain. They had no time limit, but if everyone played hide and seek with no seeker, the game will never end. He put his hands in his pants pockets.

Gray still sensed no magic.

* * *

"Five minutes into the game and, already, there is an uncontrolled battle forming, folks!" Chapati commentated.

The lacrima-trons showed a battle between Lamia Scale's Lyon Vastia and Barguest Shadow's Conrad Oswald. Conrad, the user of Earth magic, shook the ground underneath Lyon's feet. The Ice Make wizard easily created an ice bird and sat on top of it, sending a series of other birds at the Earth mage.

"His Make magic is still remarkably quick." Yajima said with an approving nod.

"Lyon and Gray are known for their fast Make magic." Mira agreed. "It's cute that they're both part of the same game again."

The lacrima-tron changed views.

"It looks like a different battle has already been won, ladies and gentleman!" Chapati said excitedly. On screen was Ren Akatsuki of Blue Pegasus trapping his opponent in a bubble that sealed off air.

"Let's go, Ren!" Jenny cheered.

"What's this?" Chapati asked once the screen changed again. "Gray Fullbuster of Fairy Tail is completely alone! He's not even moving."

"Is that another one of your plans?" Jenny asked the other Take-Over mage.

"I'm not sure if Gray had a plan before going in." Mira said honestly. "It could be."

"No one is even going towards that area." Yajima noticed.

"Is everyone too afraid to confront Fairy Tail so early in the game?" Chapati asked rhetorically. "Or have they not yet crossed this area of the field?"

* * *

"What is he doing?" Natsu grumbled. "He should be out there kicking their ass!"

"I'm sure he knows what he's doing, Natsu-san." Wendy pacified as she used her magic to heal Elfman some more.

"It looks like he's waiting for someone to come to him." Mavis pointed out. "If that's the case, this might be a good idea."

"How so, First Master?" Macao asked.

"If he waits it out and let the others take out each other, he has less to fight." Mavis said with a shrug, swinging her legs back and forth from her seat on the half wall.

"Wait, look." Erza said, pointing at the new view on the screen.

A group of wizards gathered together. Though everyone was in a different guild, they looked to have one purpose. The group of rag tag wizards made their way towards the fountain Gray was sitting at.

* * *

"Fairy Tail once again proves to be monsters!" Chapati Lola yelled in surprise. On screen was Gray with ten wizards lying on the ground around him. The Ice Make wizard didn't even seem to be winded from the arduous battle.

"It's going to take a lot more than ten people to take Gray down." Mira commented off handedly, smiling innocently.

* * *

Gray took a deep, steadying breath. The wizards that had attacked him lay unconscious at his feet. One by one, they were slowly being teleported out of the arena and to an area just outside of the magically made city. The Ice Make wizard started walking away, his hands once again shoved in his pants pockets. During the fight, Gray had lost his shirt – unsurprisingly. They were good, Gray commended. The ten had strong magic. He smirked.

With ten wizards out of the picture, that left sixteen other participants. Which meant at least fifteen other opponents Gray will have to face. He hoped others have been taken out of the picture, though.

* * *

Yukino carefully looked around. She had already run into her fair share of competitors. Usually at this point of the game, only the strong survived – of course, not without some injuries and magic reduction.

She had a large bruise forming on her thigh where someone thought it was a good idea to kick her. Yukino had also already called out Libra. The Celestial Spirit, unfortunately, took heavy damage in their earlier battle and was forced back into the Celestial Realm to heal. One golden gate didn't put much of a dent in Yukino's magic, however it left her one Spirit short in any battle she were to engage in later.

The Celestial mage took a deep breath. The arena was getting quieter.

* * *

"Sabertooth's Yukino Aguria is assaulted by ice!" Chapati commentated. On screen, Yukino looked around steadily. "The culprit is no where in sight. Will Sabertooth be all right?"

"The only two who use ice, in the stadium, are Lyon and Gray." Yajima informed.

"Two top notch contenders." Chapati said. The audience waited with bated breath as they watched the Celestial mage put her guard up. "Lyon Vastia of Lamia Scale or Gray Fullbuster of Fairy Tail."

"Sabertooth isn't someone to take lightly, either." Mira said.

"These three guilds make up the top three guilds in Fiore." Jenny added.

"Who will it be?" Chapati asked the audience.

* * *

"Ice Make: Ape!"

"Open, Gate of the Little Bear, Ursa Minor." Yukino said softly, holding out a silver key. A huge, pink, robotic bear emerged out of a magic circle, going head to head with the ice ape.

"I don't even get the honor of a golden key?" Lyon asked, swinging a fist at the Celestial mage from behind. Yukino quickly pivoted around, blocking the fist with her forearm. That was painful, even if it wasn't a direct hit.

"Silver will do just fine." She replied, kicking at him. They jumped apart.

"Ice Make: Snow Dragon!"

* * *

"Ice Make: Thieving Hand." Gray whispered from behind a building. Ice slowly formed behind an unnoticing Risley Law of Mermaid Heel. The ice formed into a hand, quickly snatching away the white ribbon from her wrist.

"What the-?" Risley gasped, feeling the tug on her limb. The last thing she saw was an ice hand holding her ribbon before she was teleported out of the arena.

"Aerial Shot!"

Gray quickly shifted his eyes upwards. Spheres of high-pressure air came down towards the ground next to him, shattering the stone path. The rocks shot towards the Ice Make mage. Gray ducked and made his way out of the small alleyway.

"Ice Make: Lance!" Gray yelled, aiming above him. Ren jumped out of the way, carefully floating himself down to ground level. "You're still here and kicking, I see." Gray commented, his hands misting out magic.

"You as well." Ren replied, sending a cyclone of air towards his opponent. The Ice Make mage countered with a shield. The ice shield shattered upon contact with the little tornado, sending ice shards flying – both wizards getting little cuts.

"Not bad." Gray said with a small smirk. "This might actually prove entertaining."

* * *

"Ren-kun! You can do it!" Jenny cheered from the announcer's booth. "Sherry is rooting for you, too!"

"Oh my," Mira giggled, seeing a blushing Sherry in the stands.

* * *

"Hey, Nee-san! Show some support for us up there!" Elfman shouted. "Gray is doing manly things!"

* * *

"Aerial Phose!" Ren yelled, sending a massive air attack at his opponent. The attack hit Gray, shattering him into little ice crystals. "A copy." The Air mage growled, quickly turning around when he sensed magic from behind him.

"Ice Make: Geyser!"

Ren yelled in pain as his body was catapulted into the air before falling to the ground. The Blue Pegasus member's body got teleported out of the arena. Gray stepped out of the shadows of the alley he was in, panting heavily. That was one hell of a battle. The Ice Make wizard froze over an open wound on his calf. He'd have to end any battles he got into quick. Walking was hard enough.

* * *

"It was looking bad for Yukino out there, but against all odds, Sabertooth pulled it off!" Chapati commentated. "There are only three wizards left in the playing field, folks. Who will come out on top?"

"All of them have injuries that can severely render their battling skills." Yajima informed.

"Let's see if these players have any more tricks up their sleeves." Chapati added. "Still out on the field we have: Yukino Aguria of Sabertooth, Gray Fullbuster of Fairy Tail, and Gunnar Aperlo of Zepar War. Will they have a confrontation?!"

* * *

Yukino jumped from one building rooftop to the next, letting Pisces try to take care of the man pursuing her. The Fish Spirits slithered in the air; aiming full body attacks at their owner's opponent. This allowed the Celestial mage to catch her breath. She had run into the man just a few minutes after her battle with Lyon.

A man with dark brown hair and gold eyes growled in annoyance. He sent a wave of magic into the building he was currently standing on. Rocks started blasting out of the structure, forcing Pisces to retreat or else risk getting shot out of the sky. Gunnar Aperlo jumped to the flat rooftop the Sabertooth girl was now on. Yukino stood in a battle stance.

"Summoners don't usually have physical strength, are you sure you want to fight me?" Gunnar asked stoically, also getting ready for close combat.

"You'll be surprised then." Yukino answered, sending a roundhouse kick. Gunnar blocked it, shoving the leg away from him and retaliating with a left hook. She ducked, swiping her foot on the ground to try and trip him. The exchange of attacks went on for a few minutes. Pisces floated in the air on stand by.

Eventually, one of them made a mistake. Yukino blocked the punch with her arms but her body became unsteady, making her fall backwards. The two of them had moved into a small corner. She tripped over the small ledge on the rooftop and tumbled off.

* * *

"Yukino!" Sting gasped, standing up and gripping the small barricade in Sabertooth's viewing balcony.

"What the hell was she thinking, going on a roof like that?" Orga asked in surprise.

* * *

The Celestial mage gasped, feeling her body free fall. The air that was left in her lungs was suddenly pushed out as she landed on something. Someone.

"You probably don't want to take that fall."

"Gray-sama." Yukino sighed in relief. He put her down on her feet on the ice platform he created. "Thank you."

"That's a four story building you were about to fall off of, you know." Gray said, raising an eyebrow. "I can't let an ally of Fairy Tail get injured for something like this."

"Same." Yukino said breathlessly, adrenaline still rushing through her body.

"See you." Gray said, shooting his side of the platform up to the roof.

"Hey!" She gasped.

"Get up on your own!"

"Pisces," Yukino called down. The white fish gently wrapped her body around her owner, bringing her back onto the roof.

* * *

"Love rival." Juvia hissed under her breath.

* * *

"Tch, I was hoping to take her out before I go and find you." Gunnar scoffed, eyeing the Fairy Tail mage. "No matter."

"Too bad." Gray said, smirking. "Ice Make: Hammer!"

The Ice Make wizard casted his spell but quickly turned his eyes to the approaching black fish. Gray jumped out of the way, rolling once on the roof. Gunnar dodged the poorly aimed ice spell, casting a wave of rocks to roll towards the two opponents. Yukino was put down onto the roof after letting Mother Pisces dodge all of the rocks.

"Rock Spear!" Gunnar grunted, sending rocks shaped as arrows into the sky. The unsuspecting Pisces took heavy damage, returning to the Celestial World. "What will you do now, Celestial Spirit mage? If I recall, that's your last golden key. The other one was taken out earlier." Yukino didn't answer, getting into another battle stance.

"You shouldn't look away from your opponent." Gray warned, sending a large ice drill at the two of them. "Ice Make: Lance!" Yukino and Gunnar were hit with the second attack simply because they were already in the process of dodging the first hit.

"You won't win." Gunnar hissed, making large boulders float behind him.

"We'll see about that." Gray taunted.

"I need to win." The Rock mage replied. "Because we will lose today's battle."

"You're not even going to have faith in your comrade?" Yukino asked.

"Why are you even sending them in then? You're just putting them down like it's nothing." Gray asked, his eyes narrowing in anger.

"Because once he loses, he will be able to win the next mini game with ease." Gunnar said cryptically.

"What does that mean?" Yukino questioned, worried about the boulders floating around.

"You'll find out." Gunnar said with a cackle, sending the rocks straight into the roof directly in front of the Ice Make mage. A portion of the roof collapsed, Gray along with it. Yukino grunted in pain as she gripped onto the side of the building, her body smashing against the brick wall when she stopped herself from falling off as well.

"Ice Ma-!" Gray started to chant, but was cut off by his own pained grunt as another rock slammed into his upper back and the back of his head, sending him falling faster.

"Landslide!" Gunnar yelled, motioning his hands in front of him. Twenty large sized rocks appeared directly above the Ice Make wizard before being released to gravity.

"Gray-sama!" Yukino screamed in worry and disbelief. "Ah!" She gasped in pain. Her fingers that were desperately gripping onto the edge of the demolished rooftop were being stepped on by the Rock mage. He placed his entire weight on the balls of his feet, which were keeping Yukino's fingers trapped underneath, as he squatted down to her level.

"I have to win." He sneered. "It's not an option for me to lose."

"Winning and losing is one thing." Yukino whispered harshly, her usually polite disposition giving way to anger. Her guild's ally was unnecessarily, possibly seriously, injured. Her friend was unnecessarily injured. "This is a game! That last spell wasn't necessary!"

"Be glad I didn't do the same thing to you." Gunnar replied, reaching forward and tugging off the white ribbon. Yukino sent him a glare as her body was enveloped in transportation magic.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Why did I choose 26 teams to pass the preliminaries? Because that was the number a random number generator gave me. ^^**


	19. Comatose

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Nineteen: Comatose

* * *

"Gray!" Natsu and Erza yelled in alarm. The two of them jumped over the balcony, landing in the stadium. They ran to the area where the competitors were transported. Gray lay on his front side, his head spilling a puddle of blood onto the ground. The Ice Make mage didn't respond. Natsu and Erza knelt down by their friend's side.

"We have to get him to our infirmary." Erza said, not daring to touch the open wound on Gray's head.

Yukino appeared moments later, falling to her knees when she saw the condition Gray was in.

"I-It looks like we have a winner, ladies and gentleman!" Chapati Lola announced, unsure how to proceed.

"Let's go." Natsu said, carefully putting Gray on his back. The Fairy Tail mages ran into the gate leading them back inside.

"Yukino!" Sting called, jogging to her side. He passed Natsu and Erza but didn't say anything. They needed to get Gray some medical attention. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." She whispered, standing up with his help. The city made of magic started to disappear, leaving Gunnar Aperlo in the middle of the arena.

"Come on." Sting urged, sending a glare to the Rock mage.

* * *

Juvia stood unmoving. Shock had overridden her body. Her dear Gray-sama, her love, had gotten seriously injured. The Water mage stared at the large bloodstain in the stadium. Natsu and Erza had taken Gray to the infirmary already, and yet, Juvia couldn't move.

"Juvia?" Cana called, shaking the Water mage's shoulder. "Juvia."

"Sit her down." Lisanna suggested, coming over to help. "It's probably better if she doesn't go in there." The Card mage nodded, leading Juvia to the bench. The Water mage moved like a doll, doing whatever anyone willed her to do.

Wendy had already run off to the infirmary with Charle. The rest of the guild stood anxiously in the viewing balcony. They didn't want to be in the way.

* * *

Mira sat in the announcer's booth, biting her lip and clenching her hands. Like Juvia, the Take-Over mage stared at the blood puddle in the arena.

"In first place, we have Zepar War!" Chapati continued professionally. "They will be rewarded with ten points for this _intense_ game. In second place: Sabertooth and in third we have Fairy Tail. We will be taking an intermission before starting the battle round. Voting for the battle round is now over, so sit tight, everyone!"

"That was cruel." Jenny hissed. She glanced over at her modeling rival.

"Would you like to go down and check?" Yajima asked, turning off his microphone.

"No one will blame you for leaving." Chapati encouraged, turning off the remaining microphones. "Jenny can fill in the guest spot for both of you."

"I'll be back later." Mira said, standing up.

"You don't have to, Mirajane." Jenny cut in. "Your guild mate is extremely injured."

"I'm not sure how much help I'd be." Mira admitted. "I just want to check in with them."

"If you really want to come back, I can't stop you." Jenny huffed. The white haired Take-Over mage smiled softly. She knew that was Jenny's way of making her feel better. Mira nodded, hurrying out of the announcer's booth.

* * *

"Gray," Lucy whispered as she watched a lacrima-tron that was set above a restaurant in the city.

"They'll pay." Loke growled, clenching his fists. "That was completely unnecessary."

The Celestial mage swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. It was like her and Minerva again, but this time…

"I…" Lucy whispered, taking a step away from the lacrima-tron. "I can help him."

She was about to turn around and run into the coliseum when Loke grabbed her arm.

"If it's any time not to be seen, it would be now." He warned.

"But… He's in serious condition!" Lucy gasped, tugging her arm lightly. Loke was holding her tightly, although it wasn't enough to bruise.

"And if you go to them now, you'll be putting them in more danger." Lucy stayed quiet, relaxing her arm. He was right, but still… Gray was… She sighed. "Besides, Porlyusica is probably there, and they have Wendy. Trust in their abilities."

"I do, it's just," Lucy trailed off, looking to the ground.

"I know you want to help." Loke said. "Hell, _I_ want you to help, but we've already gone too deep into this to turn our backs on it now. Once we do, he'll go after them and they're in no condition to handle this."

"They need to focus on Gray." She said with an affirmative nod, glad that he made her see reason. "We'll continue to take care of things on this side."

"Let's hurry then. He'll probably make a move while they're so disorganized."

* * *

"Wendy!" Chelia yelled, bursting into the door.

"Chelia, what are you doing here?" The Sky Dragon Slayer gasped, her hands over Gray's head, shining blue.

"To help, of course." The Sky God Slayer replied seriously, going over to the bed and applying her own healing spell.

Porlyusica turned slightly to watch the commotion but quickly went back to measuring perfect amounts of magic potions and ingredients into a bowl. The medicine needed to be flawless for it to work correctly and efficiently.

Outside the door, Natsu, Erza, and Lyon, who had came with Chelia, stood against the walls. The Fire Dragon Slayer stood with his arms crossed, ignoring the blood that had stained his left shoulder and part of his neck. Erza had a staring contest with the closed infirmary door, waiting for anyone to come out. Lyon, on the other hand, looked to the ground with little emotion on his face. His younger pupil always got into all kinds of trouble.

None of them realized how long they stood there until the noise from the stadium interrupted their thoughts. Cheers from the crowd caught their attention. It seemed like the first pair was being sent out onto the field.

* * *

"Juvia?" Cana called once more. The Water wizard almost seemed like she was comatose. Juvia continued to stare at the spot where Gray's blood had previously stained the battlefield. It has since been cleaned away, but the event was still fresh in her mind. "Juvia, I know you love the guy, but get a hold on yourself!"

"Cana, you don't need to be so harsh." Romeo commented softly.

"She can't stay like this forever." Macao added. "She'll come back soon."

"It has been an hour, maybe you should take her to check on them." Wakaba suggested.

"Natsu-nii and Erza-nee haven't come back yet." Romeo whispered, implying that the medical group probably wasn't done treating Gray.

"Don't you want to go be by his side?" Cana asked, ignoring the boys. "I'm sure Gray would appreciate it."

"Yeah," Juvia whispered breathily. The Card mage helped her stand up. "Gray-sama would want Juvia to be there."

"I'll take you there." Cana said, gently leading Juvia to the infirmary.

"I hope they come back with good news." Warren said quietly.

Although Fairy Tail's balcony had a desolate atmosphere, the crowd in the arena cheered as the second match was about to begin. One guild had already been knocked out of the Grand Magic Games and, without ten points, they could not be 'revived.'

Master Makarov took a deep breath and let it out. One of his children was seriously hurt. Zepar War was a relatively new guild. It was formed some time after last year's Grand Magic Games. Makarov didn't think there would be another problem like this where a competitor went over board. He narrowed his eyes towards the balcony that Zepar War resided at. Fairy Tail will show them. They dare to hurt his child.

"Sixth?" Mavis questioned, also glaring towards Zepar War.

"We can't go blindly attacking outside of the Games." Makarov said.

"And we shouldn't." Mavis answered seriously. "We can be the better person." Makarov thought about her words and nodded in agreement. "But if we meet in the arena, we could rough them up a bit. Whenever we're hurt, we return it a hundredfold. Right, Sixth?" Mavis added with an uncharacteristically dark smile.

"Of course." Makarov said with a smirk of his own.

"Is it me or are the Masters thinking of an evil plan?" Levy asked in a whisper, hugging Patherlily close to her chest.

"Of course they are, we have to avenge Gray." Jet argued.

"Why are we always targeted during the Games?" Droy questioned with a sigh.

"Because they're pathetic guilds that think that if they take one of us out, we'll be hindered and won't retaliate." Gajeel scoffed, openly glaring at Zepar War's viewing balcony. "They're going to fucking regret it, that's for sure."

Everyone who was listening nodded in agreement. Zepar War made an enemy of a guild they really shouldn't have.

* * *

"And that does it for match four! Mermaid Heel moves on to Day Two!" Chapati exclaimed. "That was an incredible battle, don't you think?"

"Arana Webb has improved a lot since last year." Yajima agreed.

"She had her opponent confused the whole time." Jenny added.

"I'm impressed." Mira complimented. "I've never seen such high leveled Thread magic."

"On to match number five! Ladies and gentlemen, going into the battlefield are:" Chapati paused for dramatic effect. "Fairy Tail!"

"Good luck." Mira cheered without raising her voice too loudly.

"The crowd must want a duel between dragons because Dragon Fang is going into the arena!" Chapati finished.

"I'm surprised that Fairy Tail wasn't matched up with Sabertooth." Jenny commented.

"Dragon Fang does not have a Dragon Slayer in their guild." Yajima informed.

"The audience might have something up their sleeves." Chapati joked. "If it's a dragon fight they're looking for, let's see who Fairy Tail is bringing in. Will it be one of their four Dragon Slayers?"

The spectators waited with bated breath. A woman from Dragon Fang stepped out of the western entrance, but, still, the crowd waited for the match up.

"It's Gajeel Redfox!" Chapati shouted. "Is this the match up everyone was hoping for?"

"This place got ten times louder." Jenny said, wincing at the noise level.

"Gajeel Redfox of Fairy Tail versus Kaoru Wen of Dragon Fang!" Chapati announced. The two competitors stood a good distance apart in the middle of the circular arena. The Game's committee employee hit the gong.

* * *

Gajeel and Kaoru nodded to each other without showing any emotion. Neither moved even though the battle clock already started winding down. The wind around Kaoru whipped up her dark red hair. Slowly, the winds started to extend out towards Gajeel and into the audience. The Iron Dragon Slayer raised an eyebrow in confusion. Was that an attack?

Silence.

Gajeel looked around in confusion. Everything was completely quiet, not even the audience was making noise anymore. He watched a random woman run to her seat. Usually, any Dragon Slayer would have no problem catching the noise of footfalls.

He turned back to his opponent, only to get kicked in the face. Gajeel stepped back, spitting out blood. She smirked at him, not bothering to talk. He didn't hear her approaching him either. What weird spell did she use on him?

* * *

"What a rare magic!" Chapati gasped once the noise was restored for the announcers and the audience.

"Silencing Wind Magic." Mira said softly. "That's a magic I've only read in textbooks."

"It is an unfortunate matchup for Gajeel. Dragon Slayers rely heavily on their heightened senses." Yajima informed.

"This magic works by moving the air currents that carry sounds away from the target, correct?" Chapati asked the other announcers.

"Right." Yajima confirmed.

"If I remember correctly, Silencing Wind Magic can do more than just make the opponent deaf." Jenny said absently.

* * *

Gajeel continued to do close combat with the eighteen-year-old woman in front of him. Her purple eyes mocked him silently as he struggled to cope with the nonexistent noise level. A lot of times, Dragon Slayers used their ears to hear the air parting when an opponent moved, or the ground crunching beneath their feet. Gajeel will have to rely only on his eyes now. He growled at her, though he didn't hear it come out of his mouth. The Iron Dragon Slayer countered with a barrage of furious attacks, kicking and punching away. Some of the hits landed, but most were dodged. This girl didn't have physical strength like Erza did, but used speed to her advantage.

Kaoru jumped back, high into the air. She crossed her arms in an 'X' formation before extending them forward quickly. Blades of wind started heading towards Gajeel at a high-speed. He made his arm into an iron pole as quickly as possible and tried to block them.

The wind blades sliced through the pole, piercing into his stomach. Gajeel coughed, blood spurting out of his mouth, but still, no sound came from him. Another bombardment of high-pressured air blades shot at him. Gajeel jumped back, avoiding the attack. The spot he was previously standing at exploded in a furious sand geyser.

Gajeel transformed his injured arm into a spearhead and waited patiently for the ground to settle. Once it did, he sent a volley of his own of Iron Dragon's Demon Logs. Kaoru stood on the other side, her eyes widening at the attack. She quickly raised a hand into the air with a sweeping motion. A wave of wind rushed the ground before heading towards the heavens, taking the Demon Logs attack with it.

Without missing a step, he ran forward, punching the girl in the jaw. Her body flew backwards. Kaoru did a flip to steady herself once more. She squatted on the ground with one leg extended, eyeing her opponent. The Iron Dragon Slayer sent his Iron Dragon's Sword at her. She jumped slightly, landing on the flat portion of the spinning blade and used it as a catapult to send her high into the air.

Gajeel growled soundlessly, sending a silent roar after her. There was no way she could dodge midair or be quick enough to block it again.

Kaoru smirked, putting a hand in front of her mouth, blowing as if something was on the palm of her hand.

* * *

"That's incredible." Mavis said in awe, her eyes going wide. "To know two types of magic that completely cripples an opponent."

"Gajeel will definitely have his hands full with this one." Laxus commented with his arms crossed as usual.

"She doesn't have much physical strength." Freed noticed.

"But the magic she uses makes up for it and more." Makarov said, keeping close eye on the battlefield. However, not even the lacrima cameras hovering around could see the two fighters now.

* * *

"A fog has covered the field!" Chapati continued announcing.

"Kaoru completely took sound away and now she's taking sight away, as well." Mira said, worried for her guild mate.

"That is a difficult combination to overcome." Yajima commented.

"Mist magic plus Silencing Wind magic, wow." Jenny added, impressed.

Random attacks of iron blasted out of the mist, an Iron Club to the north, a Dragon's Roar to the south, Demon Logs to the east. From the outside, it looked like Iron Dragon Slayer was having a hard time pin pointing Kaoru.

* * *

Gajeel panted as his body was hit repeatedly with blades of wind, fists, and kicks. At this point, he fell to his knees in exhaustion after taking so many hits. He couldn't see her through the mist and she kept coming from different directions. The Iron Dragon Slayer had placed the Iron Scales spell on his body long ago, but the girl's high-pressured air broke through it with ease. He had no sight. He couldn't hear. He could hardly smell anything more than water.

The Iron Dragon Slayer closed his eyes, trying to sense her magic instead. His body jerked as he was hit once more with an air attack that was quickly followed by a kick. She was quick and didn't stay in one place for too long. Kaoru had to be getting tired from running around and jumping so much. Gajeel couldn't assume. Most of his own guild mates could run and jump for at least an hour without getting too worn-out. It was part of their physical training.

Another attack landed on his iron scales, splitting the hard material. Blood pooled onto the ground. Gajeel abruptly opened his eyes and sent a roar straight ahead of him.

Kaoru went flying into the air as she was hit with scraps of metal. Random shards embedded into her body, making her wince in pain. The large cloud of mist slowly disappeared as she fell back to the ground.

Gajeel knelt in the middle of the battlefield. Blood pooled on the ground around him with splashes going in every direction like splatter paint. He panted tiredly, yet, to his ears, his breath didn't make a sound.

Around the Iron Dragon Slayer were five copies of Kaoru, each with identical injuries on their body.

* * *

"Kaoru Wen has created Mist Copies of herself!" Chapati said excitedly. "With only four points on the board, is this the end of the line for Fiore's current number one guild?"

Mirajane bit her lip in worry. Gajeel was in the arena covered from head to toe in injuries and blood. They didn't need someone else seriously hurt. And looking at any one of Kaoru's copies, she was far less injured than he was.

"There are only ten minutes left." Jenny announced, watching the timer wind down.

* * *

"That's a lot like you're magic, Wakaba." Alzack commented, taking his eyes off the battle for just a second to address the elder mage.

"Come on, Gajeel!" Wakaba yelled. "You can beat my magic!"

"He can't hear you." Bisca sighed, holding her daughter close in a hug as Asuka sat on her lap.

"Mist magic is a bit different than smoke. At least, for a Dragon Slayer." Makarov informed.

"How?" Romeo asked.

"Smoke covers scents and smells while the water from mist will naturally make the scent disappear." Mavis answered. "A Dragon Slayer would have a tough time in smoke, but could still, probably, pin point a scent."

"So in mist…" Levy trailed off, crushing Pantherlily to her body. The black Exceed started to turn blue from lack of oxygen.

"Three out of five of a Dragon Slayer's heightened senses are eliminated." Mavis confirmed, watching the fight closely.

* * *

Still panting soundlessly, Gajeel charged up his magic to transform his body once more. Wisps of shadow leaked out of his body, eyes turning blue. He was surprised that he had to use this technique so early in the Games, but smirked anyways. He had plenty more tricks up his sleeve for the later fights.

Kaoru narrowed her eyes, widening her fighting stance. Her copies followed the movements in sync. Redfox was up to something.

Gajeel melted into the ground. A shadow started moving around. Kaoru and her copies jumped away, sending air currents into the ground. The earth once again exploded in a flurry of dirt, sand, and rocks. She looked around nervously. The shadow was gone.

Kaoru felt a twinge in her magic as one of her copies took a hit and disappeared in a puff of mist. She turned quickly to where the copy once stood and saw a shadow jump back into the ground. Kaoru sent another copy to try and physically attack the Iron Dragon Slayer while the other two copies and she jumped back with a midair reverse summersault.

The copy attempted to stomp at Gajeel but was quickly pulled into the shadow with a yelp – a yelp that Gajeel still could not listen to as long as she kept the spell on. That copy, too, disappeared into mist, evaporating in the air.

There were five minutes left. A tie would result in both teams being eliminated. She had to finish this quickly, but how does one go about hurting a shadow? Kaoru and her copies started to attack the ground at random with blades of wind. One of them had to hit him eventually.

Gajeel growled as more of his blood splattered onto the ground. He unexpectedly pounced out of the ground and tackled one of the Kaoru's. Her eyes widened in surprise as he tackled the middle copy, which was the closest to her. Gajeel skidded on the ground before disappearing into the earth once more.

The moving shadow disappeared again. Kaoru cautiously looked at the shadow of her mist copy and then her own shadow. He was in one of them. She had a fifty-fifty chance of attacking the correct one.

Gajeel had the same odds.

* * *

"Kaoru attacks both shadows!" Chapati yelled.

"Keep in mind, a copy's attack will be far less powerful than the user." Yajima reminded.

"They missed." Jenny gasped, watching Gajeel take out the copy and Kaoru attack her own shadow.

"They certainly have bad guessing skills." Mirajane joked lightly.

"There are two minutes left in the match!" Chapati shouted.

* * *

The two of them were physically close to each other. She knew her combat skills were far weaker than her magical attacks. In a last ditch effort Kaoru released her silencing spell. Cheers, clapping, people shouting in anger, footsteps, and every noise possible assaulted Gajeel's sensitive ears. The Iron Dragon Slayer's ears started to, literally, leak blood, dripping onto his earlobe and down the sides of his neck.

He pushed back the urge to crumple to the ground until his ears got use to the noise level. Gajeel sent a swift kick into Kaoru's gut, ignoring the throbbing headache that was forming.

The Silencing Wind wizard gasped, her body getting kicked back. Kaoru's body soared in the air for a few seconds before skidding to the ground. She lay on her front side, becoming unconscious.

* * *

"Fairy Tail wins it!" Chapati announced. "We _already_ have this level of excitement and it's only the first day."

"I'm worried for the next few days." Yajima sighed.

"Good for you, Gajeel." Mira said happily.

"Your guild couldn't finish any quicker?" Jenny teased, looking at the timer. Twenty seconds were left in the match.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Natsu complained when he saw Gajeel drag his body to the infirmary. "You dragged that out for so long!"

"I was just having some fun, Salamander." Gajeel protested, gripping onto the doorknob of the medical room harder than he would have normally. Natsu chuckled slightly. It was a Dragon Slayer thing to size up their opponent to this extent.

The Iron Dragon Slayer slowly opened the door. Even now, Porlyusica was wrapping new bandages around Gray's head, covering most of the Ice Make wizard's face like a mummy. Gray's upper body was also covered in bandages and one arm was in a cast. Wendy and Charle were passed out on the spare bed. Even after all of their hard work, Gray was still in this condition.

"Great, you too?" Porlyusica complained as she saw him walk in. Gajeel sniffed the air as two particular scents assaulted his nose.

"That Sky God Slayer was here, too?" The Iron Dragon Slayer asked, plopping onto a stool as he allowed Porlyusica to clean his wounds. They would have to heal naturally; Wendy had used too much power, already.

"She and Lyon came to see if they could help." Erza said with a sigh. "When Chelia passed out, Lyon took her back to Lamia Scale's infirmary."

"And he's still this bad?" Gajeel asked, eyeing all of the bandages on Gray. He hissed as Fairy Tail's medical advisor poured disinfectant on a rather large slice he had gotten on his leg.

"Don't complain, human." Porlyusica nagged.

"Will he be all right, old woman?" Gajeel questioned next.

"Gray will live." Porlyusica said cryptically.

"There's a good chance that he has brain damage." Erza said, clenching her fists.

"Those bastards." Natsu growled, turning away so he didn't have to look at his injured friends.

"Even after Wendy and that other girl?" Gajeel asked.

"They had to work slowly and delicately." Porlyusica answered this time, getting another roll of bandages. "Lest they damage his mind more."

"If Wendy keeps working at it, he'll get better, though slowly." The Re-quip sighed.

"The potion I gave him will stop him from getting any worse." Porlyusica added.

"Did you tell the others?" Gajeel questioned, staring at Gray's covered face. Only one eye was visible through all the gauze and bandages.

"Juvia and Cana came here earlier." Natsu sighed.

"I bet that went well." Gajeel said sarcastically. He was seething on the inside. Zepar War wasn't going to see what was coming to them.

"Cana had to take Juvia outside to get some air." Erza replied.

"You should tell Makarov." Porlyusica commented, finishing with Gajeel's treatment. "Go get him."

Natsu and Erza nodded.

* * *

Lucy grunted softly as she blocked a kick before sending one of her own. The man she was fighting couldn't dodge with his ankle being held captive and fell to the ground after the impact. The Celestial mage quickly pinned the man down, tying his wrists with magic nullifying rope she had gotten in the Celestial Spirit World.

"You all right, princess?" Loke asked, holding onto another person.

"Fine," She grunted, pulling the ropes tight. "Let's get these guys to the guards."

"That leaves two more." Leo sighed, taking the man from his owner so she didn't have to drag his fat ass over to the authorities. "You're bleeding."

"It's only a bit." Lucy reassured.

"A bit all over your arm." He said with a roll of his eyes. They started to walk out of the dark hallway inside Domus Flau. "I'll help you once we get these guys off our hands."

"No need." She replied, walking alongside him while drawing a pattern in the air. Her right eye glowed gold when the spell was complete. Lucy sent magic to her arms, healing her of any wounds. "See?"

"You should really conserve some magic." Loke sighed in disappointment. "You've been calling us in and out all day. Besides, you've had Musca out since yesterday."

"And _you_ should know how much you increased my magic." Lucy said with a smirk.

The two being dragged by the man narrowed their eyes. With their cloaks on, the two criminals could only hear their voices. What was going on? How did they get found out? And what the hell did this man mean when he said 'called in and out?' Who the hell was Musca? They will have to try to report this to their boss.

* * *

"The final match today is about to start." Chapati announced. "Match thirteen: Zepar War versus Sabertooth! Send in your players!"

From the east gate, Sabertooth's Orga Nanagear walked into the stadium. From the west gate, a boy around nine years old with light brown hair and lighter brown eyes ran into the arena, his big eyes and large hoodie making his whole appearance rather cute and innocent.

Orga raised an eyebrow, looking towards Sabertooth's balcony for answers. Sting shrugged back. It was up to the guild who they wanted to send in.

"Th-they're sending in a child?" Jenny asked, surprised.

"He looks so young." Mira said, also in shock. "Younger than Wendy, even."

"There's no age limit, according to the Grand Magic Game rules." Chapati said uneasily as the gong rang. "M-match start! You have thirty minutes!" Chapati said, still trying to be professional. "Orga Nanagear of Sabertooth versus Darrel Callisto of Zepar War!"

Who sends a nine year old into a competition like this?

Yajima narrowed his eyes. There was something strange about this young boy's magic. The gong reverberated through the stadium.

* * *

"I don't really want to hurt you, kid." Orga said with a grunt. He rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Then you surrender?" Darrel asked excitedly.

"Not… really." Orga replied awkwardly. What the hell was he supposed to do?

"Oh." Darrel said softly. The kid then took a fighting stance. "Then let's duke it out!"

The Lightning God Slayer raised an eyebrow. The kid hardly reached above his knee in height and Darrel wanted to ' _duke it out_?'

* * *

"They're smiling." Mavis said seriously as she stared at Zepar War's viewing balcony.

"Smirking more like it." Laxus scoffed.

"What are they thinking? Sending an innocent kid in like that?" Evergreen complained. "He's hardly old enough to even be in a guild."

"His magic." Makarov whispered.

"So you sense it too?" Mavis asked, shifting her eyes to the arena. Orga was side stepping all of Darrel's sloppy physical attacks.

* * *

"Th-this isn't even a fair fight." Jenny said, turning off her microphone. "I wouldn't know what to do if I was put in this situation either."

"Are you sure there isn't a rule against this?" Mira asked, motioning for Chapati to turn off all of the microphones.

"There's no age limit." Chapati replied, flipping through the rulebook. Yajima was doing the same.

"It is up to the guild if they wish to set an age limit for membership." The former council member said with a sigh.

"This will have to play out then." Jenny sighed, turning to Mirajane. The white haired model shook her, letting out a frustrated breath. Not only did they seriously injure Gray to near death, but also they send out a child to fight.

* * *

"All right." Orga huffed, jumping back. This wasn't going to get them anywhere. The Lightning God Slayer charged up a decent sized lightning attack, but nowhere near his normal power. He sent the attack towards Darrel, who stood like a deer caught in headlights.

Darrel screamed in pain before falling to the ground.

That was too easy, Orga thought, turning to look at the Sabertooth's balcony once more. They too, looked uneasy.

* * *

"Sabertooth wins!" Chapati announced, flipping the microphones on again. "An easy victory against Zepar War who played so callously in the mini game earlier today. Will they sacrifice their ten points for a revival?"

Everyone turned his or her attention to the Zepar War balcony. The Master of their guild raised his hand, nodding.

"And they do! Zepar War will appear in tomorrow's competition." Chapati said.

"I don't know what they're playing at, but we should be careful." Mira mumbled away from the microphone. Jenny and Yajima nodded in agreement.

"It's only a friendly competition and they're treating this like life and death." Jenny added.

"That's it for today's competition!" Chapati exclaimed, blocking the audience from hearing his guest announcers. "Have a good evening, ladies and gentlemen!"

* * *

Yukino glared at the ground, her one arm under her breast to hold up the other arm while her hand was making a fist against her lips. What Gunnar Aperlo said to her during the mini game earlier haunted her mind.

* * *

…

* * *

" _I need to win." The Rock mage replied. "Because we will lose today's battle."_

" _You're not even going to have faith in your comrade?" Yukino asked._

" _Why are you even sending them in then? You're just putting them down like it's nothing." Gray asked, his eyes narrowing in anger._

" _Because once he loses, he will be able to win the next mini game with ease." Gunnar said cryptically._

" _What does that mean?" Yukino questioned._

" _You'll find out." Gunnar said with a cackle._

* * *

...

* * *

Yukino bit her lip nervously, just what was Zepar War planning?


	20. Brain Teaser

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Answers provided.

* * *

Chapter Twenty: Brain Teaser

* * *

"Welcome to Day Two of the Grand Magic Games!" Chapati Lola said excitedly. "Today, we, once again, have Yajima-san with us."

"Hello." Yajima said into the microphone.

"And our special guest today is Saint Wizard Jura Neekis!" Chapati announced.

"It is an honor to be here." Jura said humbly, bowing slightly over the microphone.

"Let's start today's competition right away! We have fourteen guilds in total that will be participating." Chapati said when he saw Mato standing in the middle of the arena. "Today's game is called: Palace Conundrum!"

"Sounds challenging." Jura commented with a satisfied smile.

"The goal today is to find the key to the locked exit. There are three keys in total in the arena, so first come first serve. The catch to this game is that there will be Rune traps set up around the area where participants are to play. Each Rune trap will have a riddle to solve. Solve it incorrectly, and you will have to fight a monster! If you lose against the monster, you're out of the game! There is, once again, no time limit." Chapati explained. "Guilds, send in your players!"

"What kind of arena will they be playing in?" Yajima asked, eyeing the barren battlefield.

"Mato, if you will please!" Chapati signaled.

In the main battlefield, Mato nodded. The mascot then raised his hand in the air. Another magically built building started to appear. A large palace, similar to Mercurius, materialized behind Mato, filling up the entire arena.

* * *

"Whom are we sending in today?" Natsu asked, scratching his head.

"Laxus." Makarov answered, looking to his grandson. The Lightning Dragon Slayer looked over at the call of his name and nodded, silently leaving the viewing balcony.

"At least he can beat up monsters." The Fire Dragon Slayer sighed – implying that the S-Class mage couldn't solve the riddles.

"I doubt you'd be any good at it." Happy commented with a snicker.

"Hey!" Natsu complained.

* * *

"Keep in mind, competitors: if you run into another participant, you are allowed to try and knock each other out of the game." Chapati added just before the players were teleported into a random area of the castle. "Let's begin!"

* * *

Laxus casually walked around the corridor he was teleported into. No one was around him. It was a good thing he was familiar with Runes magic. He carefully sidestepped a certain stone paneling on the ground that looked to be spelled. So, a key of some sort was hidden somewhere in the palace. Great.

Walking around some more, Laxus found this game to be rather relaxing. He eyed a doorway that clearly had Rune magic blocking the entrance. It was as good a place as any to start looking. The Lightning Dragon Slayer touched the Runes, activating the trap. Rune letterings trapped him inside of a box as the riddle started to appear.

 _How much dirt is in a hole 4 feet deep and 2 feet wide?_

Every contestant had been handed a light pen to write out his or her answer before the game started. Laxus took out his pen and started to calculate the volume of a cylinder. The radius is one and the height is four. After a few minutes of mental math, Laxus wrote down a numerical value.

Seconds passed.

A loud sound straight from a game show echoed in the corridor. The noise for an incorrect answer shocked the Lightning Dragon Slayer as the floor beneath him disappeared. Laxus landed heavily on the stone flooring. In front of him was one of those Pandemonium monsters. This one was previously a B class monster.

* * *

"HAHAHAHA! What an idiot!" Natsu laughed, clutching his stomach.

"Oh yeah? Then what's the answer?" Erza asked with a smirk.

"It's obviously 42." The Fire Dragon Slayer said as if it were obvious. His guild mates around him all slowly looked over, giving him a weird look. "What?"

"Where the hell did you get that?" Cana asked.

"It's a riddle, right? So that means it's a nonsense question," Natsu replied with a shrug. "You just put the two numbers together."

"Manly!" Elfman cheered, flexing his arm.

"Oh, my." Mira said sheepishly. Master Makarov ran a hand down his face.

* * *

"And Rufus Lore get's inside of the room!" Chapati announced. "That was a challenging riddle, wasn't it?"

"A very respectable question." Jura agreed with a nod.

"Audience members, did you get it correct?" Chapati asked rhetorically. "A sword and shield cost 50 Jewels. If the sword cost 49 Jewels more than the ball, what is the cost of both?"

"This is a very easy paced game compared to yesterday's." Yajima noticed.

"I find that I like this low stress game." The Earth mage said happily.

A loud crashing noise echoed from the lacrima-tron.

"It looks like our competitors ran into each other, folks." Chapati informed excitedly.

* * *

"Man!" Ichiya huffed, his hands making two gun motions. "You think you can defeat me?"

"I will because I am wild!" Semmes yelled, stretching his arms to his sides and starting to spin rapidly. "Wild Spin!"

"I can't stop you with strength alone." Ichiya mumbled, dodging out of the way with a fancy flip and glitter around his body. "I'll use my special weapon!"

Semmes continued to spin towards the Perfume mage, crashing into walls and breaking decorations.

"Wild!" Semmes yelled, going full speed towards his opponent.

"Armpit Parfum." Ichiya said, lifting up his arms. A sickly green smoke appeared from his armpits, wrapping around the Spinning mage.

"What a wild smell." Semmes stopped spinning to cough. Slowly, he backed away from Ichiya, unfortunately, stepping on a Runes trap.

"Man." Ichiya said, doing various poses before running off.

 _Which word is the odd one out?_

 _First, Second, Third, Forth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth_

"Seventh? Because it has seven letters whereas the others have five or six?" The Spinning Magic mage said out loud as he wrote it in the air with his light pen.

* * *

"And Semmes of Quatro Cerberus goes to the dungeon!" Chapati yelled.

"He got an A class monster this time." Yajima informed with a nod before the lacrima-tron changed views.

"Here's Yuka Suzuki of Lamia Scale. Jura-san, do you think he will answer this question correctly?" Chapati asked.

"Yuka-dono is a smart man. I believe he will." Jura replied proudly.

* * *

 _You are lost and alone in the woods. You stumble across an old cabin, and decide to stay there for the night. You want some heat and light, but the only things you find in the cabin are a candle, an oil lamp, and a wood burning stove. You look in our pocket but you only have one match left. What do you light first?_

Yuka stared at the riddle in front of him with great concentration. As the minutes passed, one of his overly bushy eyebrows started to tick. The Wave magic user wrote his answer.

"Ah!"

* * *

"And Yuka does not answer correctly!" Chapati yelled, quickly looking over to Jura. The Earth mage had his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"Not many are getting these riddles correct." Yajima sighed.

"Semmes of Quatro Cerberus is out of the game, ladies and gentlemen!" Chapati said abruptly as Semmes appeared outside of the castle. "It looks like he couldn't defeat the A class monster."

* * *

"Where do you think you're going?" A feminine voice asked.

A whip wrapped around his wrist, tugging him towards the wielder. He pulled back but the whip didn't release him.

"This is the newbie?" A man asked, stepping out from the shadows. He had short hair and a scar on the side of his left cheekbone.

"And the last of them, besides their leader." She answered.

"Icicle Smash!"

"Ah, Ice magic, huh?" The women said calmly, jumping away from the attack, whip still in hand. She went across his body and wrapped the whip around him once, his right wrist held against his left hip from the bindings. The woman got close behind him and summoned a dagger, lightly nicking his neck. A thin trail of blood flowed to his collarbone. "Now, cooperate." She hissed in his ear.

"Aren't you that council guy?" He hissed at the other man who stood as if there was nothing out of the ordinary going on. "Are you going to let this crazy girl attack me?"

"You are under arrest for targeting members of Fairy Tail." The man replied seriously, putting a hand on the woman's shoulder. The three of them disappeared from the alleyway, not leaving a trace.

* * *

 _A homicide detective is called to a crime scene. A man is lying dead in front of the building and seeing the position of the windows on the building and the position in which the body is lying, it is evident that the man jumped out from one of them and committed suicide._

 _The detective asks his team to collect the traces, if they can find any, on the body and heads towards the building. He goes to the first floor and towards the room that is on the front side. Inside the room, he lights a cigarette, walks towards the window facing the dead body, opens the window and throws out the cigarette. He then goes to the second floor and repeats the same process._

 _He keeps doing the same thing until he is done with all of the floors, and then takes the lift to the ground floor. Upon reaching there, he informs the team that it is not a suicide but a murder._

 _While the whole team is shocked to hear the revelation, he lights another cigarette and takes a hard puff._

 _How do you think he found out that it was not a suicide?_

Laxus rolled his eyes, easily writing the answer. The noise for a correct answer rang through the Runes box before the spell disappeared. He had gained access to a corridor inside the magic palace. That sounded pleasant, didn't it? Too bad it was fucking dark inside the stupid thing. The Lightning Dragon Slayer heard the scrape of a shoe tripping against the flat ground. He narrowed his eyes and sent a jolt of electricity behind him.

Beth Vanderwood screamed in surprise. Laxus raised an eyebrow at the smaller girl in front of him. She didn't look like much, but she had to be on the Mermaid Heel team for a reason. He sent a Lightning Dragon's Roar her way. She quickly dug a hole and landed on the floor below. Unfortunately for her, she landed on a Rune trap.

 _I am an odd number; take away an alphabet letter and I become even. What number am I?_

Laxus was glad he didn't get that one. That would take a little time to solve, which he did not have. They've been in this ridiculous castle for too long. He continued to walk down the corridor he opened up. There were two doorways. One that had a spell on it, and one that didn't. It would be obvious to believe that the key would likely be in the spelled room.

Laxus went into the room without the spell.

* * *

"That's too bad for Mermaid Heel." Chapati said sympathetically. "Knocked out by the S class monster."

"There is no shame in being bested." Jura commented.

The lacrima-tron changed once more.

"Can Rufus Lore get inside this room?" Chapati asked with excitement.

 _Two empty jugs (3 gallons, 5 gallons)_

 _Measure exactly 1 gallon without wasting any water._

"Seems easy enough." Yajima commented, stroking his chin.

"And Sabertooth gets into the room!" Chapati announced, watching the screen intently. "What's inside, I wonder?"

The announcers and viewers watched with interest as Rufus looked through all of the books in the library. Taking some off of the shelf and shaking out the pages. With others, he hooked a finger in the binding and tipped the book slightly, but not enough for it to fall off. Eventually, Rufus climbed up the library ladder and tipped over a book that resided on the second to last shelf. The book was the same color as the others; however, the title of the book was lined with a glittering substance, which had caught the Memory Make wizard's eyes. Once the book was tipped over, an object that was wedged between it and another book fell to the ground. Rufus jumped down, picking up a silver key.

* * *

Laxus growled in annoyance. Out of all of the mini games he could've been put in, he got picked for this one. Not only does he have to find an impossible to find key, he also had to find the fucking exit. Which was also conveniently sealed away by a riddle. The Lightning Dragon Slayer stood in _another_ Runes box, thinking of the stupid answer to the stupid riddle so he could get into the lobby, which held the stupid exit.

 _A person has uncovered a secret that was a mystery for ages. He transfers the data into his lacrima hard drive and encrypts the drive with a password. Then, he writes a line on paper to remember the password._

 _The line says: "You force heaven to be empty"._

 _Decrypt the line to reveal the password if you know that the password is seven characters long that comprise of just letters and numbers._

Laxus let out a frustrated huff, combing a hand through his hair. He saw Rufus running towards him. Looks like they'd have to fight for this exit, because once an exit was used, it changes locations. Fucking magic castle. Rufus also ran into the spelled doorway, trapping himself in another Runes box. The Lightning Dragon Slayer looked over and realized it was the same riddle.

* * *

"Who's going to get the exit?!" Chapati asked.

"You force heaven to be empty." Jura thought out loud softly.

"Looks like Laxus is writing something." Yajima announced.

A flash of magic was seen once the Lightning Dragon Slayer stopped writing. Everyone waited anxiously. The lacrima camera stayed on the scene, showing Laxus take a step forward into the lobby. Quickly, the Fairy Tail mage shoved the key into the keyhole, turning the lock.

Fairy Tail's balcony erupted into cheers when their member stepped outside of the arena.

"First place goes to Fairy Tail!" Chapati said. "Looks like Rufus will have to find the new exit location."

* * *

"What was with that first question, Laxus?" Mira teased.

"I don't want to talk about it." He grumbled, to which his guild mates laughed at.

"Now that you're finally done." Natsu said, stretching his arms upwards. "I'm going to go see if Ice Princess is still alive."

"Get back before the battle round starts. You're up today." Makarov reminded.

"I'll go with him." Erza commented. "I'll make sure he's back."

"Check on Juvia while you're there. She hasn't come out since this morning." Lisanna added.

"Sure." Natsu answered, walking out of the balcony. "You think he got any better?" He asked, expression suddenly serious.

"Wendy and Porlyusica are doing their best." The Re-quip mage sighed.

First thing Wendy did when she woke up this morning with all of her magic restored, was to carefully heal Gray while Porlyusica did some more research to obtain a better magic potion for their patient. The Ice Make mage hadn't woken up. He hadn't even twitched while unconscious. Things weren't looking good. At this point, even if Wendy managed to piece his mind back together, there was no guarantee there wouldn't be any long lasting effects.

"How is he?" Natsu asked the second he and Erza walked into the infirmary.

"Shh," Wendy urged, sweat dripping off her forehead. "Juvia-san is sleeping. She's been up all night watching him."

"You should take a break, Wendy." Erza said. "You're getting exhausted."

"I don't get it." Wendy whimpered, taking her hands away from Gray and plopping in the chair next to the bed. "No matter how much I heal, he's not waking up."

"Things like this take time." Porlyusica commented, bringing over another potion to try. The elder woman was also as tired as the little Dragon Slayer. "And, apparently, a lot of trial and error."

"I'm sure whatever you're doing is helping." Natsu encouraged, walking to Wendy's side and patting her head. "Gray is too stubborn to stay like this forever."

No one wanted to say it. Wendy looked to the ground and Porlyusica avoided any eye contact. Erza caught the odd behavior.

"He's not in good condition." The Re-quip said without any tact. The group looked at her in surprise, even Juvia who had woken up from their talking. "Just do the best you can."

"Erza," Natsu hissed, shifting his eyes to Juvia quickly.

"Juvia knows." Juvia sniveled, clenching her fists on her lap. "If Gray-sama has even the slightest chance to wake up, he will have very many complications. Even Wendy and Porlyusica-san's magic combined is not enough."

"The damage was already too serious when he got here." Porlyusica said, gently pouring the potion into Gray's mouth.

"It's that serious?" Erza stuttered. No one had mentioned it being that critical. The guild members had shuffled in and out of the room since yesterday night and yet no one had noticed.

"I'm sorry." Wendy said tightly, tears starting to leak out of her eyes. "I'm not strong enough."

"You're plenty strong, girl. Don't blame yourself." Porlyusica scolded. "Injuries like this anywhere else are fixable. It's unfortunate that he was hit on the head."

"I-Is there anything we can do to help?" Natsu asked.

"You should start praying for a miracle." The elderly woman said emotionlessly, taking away the now empty bowl. "Even him waking up is a miracle now."

Juvia bit her lip hard enough to make it bleed. She had tried to be strong. For Gray, she really tried to be. The dam broke silently, raining tears down her porcelain skin.

"Natsu, you have a match." Erza said suddenly, turning to the door. Her voice seemed a little shaky. "Porlyusica-san, Wendy, let's go tell the others."

The Fire Dragon Slayer gently led Wendy out of the room, his eyes showing sorrow and anger. He'd get them. Zepar War will regret it, he promised on his pride as a Fairy Tail wizard.

* * *

"What an interesting and relaxing game, don't you think, gentlemen?" Chapati asked the other announcers.

"Quite different from previous years." Yajima agreed.

"It was a nice change of pace." Jura commented.

"We have Fairy Tail in first place, Sabertooth in second, and Lamia Scale in third for the mini game." Chapati informed, the lacrima-tron displaying the points for the fourteen guilds still in the running. "Remember, the voting for battle match-ups is now over. We'll take a short break before the battle round."

* * *

"I see." Makarov mumbled, his fists clenching.

There was a crashing sound as stones fell to the ground. The guild members looked over to see Natsu with his fist through the wall. He was seething, grinding his teeth together. No one stopped him. They all agreed. Grand Magic Games be damned.

Tonight, Fairy Tail will annihilate Zepar War.

* * *

"How could you lose?!"

The sound of skin contacting with skin echoed through the room.

"S-sorry, Master." A man of seventeen whimpered, holding his cheek that had gotten hit.

"We lose in the battle round and Darrel won't even get to show these spineless guilds who is the new top gun." The Master hissed, hitting his pupil once more. The seventeen year old didn't fight back, groaning as he fell to the ground. The Master kicked him in the gut, making his body slide against the ground.

Surrounding members looked away.

"Master, surely you can take it easy." Gunnar cut in uneasily.

"The fool was so incompetent that he couldn't even figure out ridiculous riddles and find a key." The Master growled. "You dare say that he doesn't deserve this?"

"I'll win." A woman interrupted, stepping forward. All eyes turned to her. She had platinum blonde hair, orange eyes, and red lipstick, wearing a tight, black leather romper with a hood and tall black boots.

"Very well, Shifra. Don't disappoint me. You know what'll happen if you do."

* * *

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen!" Chapati Lola said happily. "We have Yajima-san, a former council member, and Jura-san, a Saint Wizard and a member of Lamia Scale, still with us!"

"Hello," Yajima and Jura greeted.

"Who would you like to see paired up in today's battle round?" Chapati asked his guests.

"I'm sure every battle today will be as worthy as the others previously." Jura replied.

"I agree." Yajima said.

"You heard it here, folks." Chapati said. "Let's get started! We ended yesterday's battle round with them, but we'll start today's with this guild. Please welcome, Zepar War!" The crowd cheered as a woman stepped out of the gate, walking emotionlessly to the center of the arena. "And their chosen opponent is… Harpies Feather!"

"Harpies Feather has shown great skill in the preliminaries and yesterday's battle." Jura commented.

"Yes. Word is they are on equal footing with some of the six top guilds in Fiore." Yajima informed.

"This will certainly be an interesting battle." Chapati said, anxiously waiting for the Harpies Feather member to step out of the gate. A woman with light pink hair and dark purple eyes stepped out. "It's Rosette Aurore! Harpies Feather's, very own, rising star, glamour model!"

"Two beautiful ladies are on the field. Will it be another glamour battle?" Jura asked, not fazed by the stunning girls.

"Would you like a glamour battle?" Rosette asked in a sweet, soft voice.

"No, thanks." Shifra answered with little emotion. She got into a battle stance. Rosette agreed with a nod.

"You heard the ladies. No glamour battle today." Chapati said, significantly less excited. "Shifra Favero of Zepar War versus Rosette Aurore of Harpies Feather!" The gong rang through the stadium.

* * *

"Good luck." Rosette said, readying herself for an attack from her opponent.

Shifra answered by putting her hands in front of her and yelling, "Fire Bomb!" A large fireball made its way to Rosette.

"Rose of Love!" Thousands of red Rose petals blasted through the air, slicing straight through the fireball. The Rose petals picked up all of the fire and continued onward towards Shifra. The Fire mage scoffed, jumping away and sending a rain shower of fire Rosette's way. Instead of attacking, the Rose mage dodged all of the little droplets of fire. "Dreaming Rose!" Rosette chanted, motioning above Shifra's head. In the air, blue Rose petals started to slowly fall to the ground, spewing a glittery blue substance as it went.

* * *

"Rose magic. A pretty magic to match her name." Chapati sighed happily.

"It is a variant of Plant magic and Paper magic, I believe." Jura informed.

"Yes. This magic uses only Rose petals. As you can see, each color has a different element or property." Yajima added.

"What is this blue one, I wonder? Judges?" Chapati asked.

"I believe it is Sleep magic." Yajima said.

"Looks like the magic is starting to kick in for Shifra." Jura said.

* * *

Shifra found it hard to keep her eyes open. She tried to shake it off, but the effects were strong. The Fire mage looked over to her guild's balcony, seeing the Master's disapproving glare. No, she had to win this. If not for herself, then for the others to avoid anymore 'punishment.'

"Shocker!" Rosette yelled. Yellow Rose petals suddenly appeared all around Shifra, there was no way out. The Rose petals started conducting electricity with each other, building up quickly.

The Fire mage yelled in pain. She forced her body to move, swiping her arms around her and creating a fire cyclone, burning up all of the yellow Rose petals.

"Needle Crasher!" Rosette called out next, sending green Rose petals to her opponent. The green petals transformed themselves into thick vines with various thorns attached to them.

"Fire Wave!" Shifra chanted, summoning a whole wave of red fire to clash with the thorns. "I will win. I have to." She whispered, as she pumped more magic into her attack.

* * *

" _Damn it! Who's doing this?"_ A man yelled, frantically shuffling through random papers. _"They took the damn papers, too."_

"He sounds mad." Doranbolt commented with a smirk.

"Of course," Lucy giggled. "We took out every wizard he had at his disposal in two days and stole back important documents."

"And we have a spy that he still hasn't found."

"I doubt anyone could find Musca in this form." The Celestial mage praised.

More sounds and sights telepathically entered their minds. The man had kicked over the desk and yelled out his frustrations. He then stormed out of the abandoned building.

"It looks like he's coming back to Crocus." Doranbolt informed.

"He's really going to go head on?" Lucy asked incredulously. "He's no match by himself."

The telepathic vision moved with him, careful to stay a good distance away.

"Makes it easier for us, doesn't it?"

"I suppose." Lucy said, standing up. Doranbolt followed her example. "Take a break, Musca."

" _Yes, Lucy."_ Musca answered softly through their mental connection. Lucy felt her Spirit's gate close.

"You have one last thing you want to do today, don't you?" He asked. The Celestial mage nodded, looking towards Domus Flau.

"Not yet, but soon. I need to gather a little more magic."

* * *

"In an intensive, fiery match, Shifra Favero wins!" Chapati yelled. "Zepar War is really rising up in the ranks for such a new guild."

"Congratulations to them." Jura said, his normally polite and kind voice going slightly cold.

"On to the next match up!" Chapati continued, shuffling through some papers.

* * *

"Is this wise?" Mavis asked, but didn't disapprove.

"Probably not." Makarov sighed. "Whatever the consequences, we won't let this slide by."

"Of course not." Mavis said in an uncharacteristically serious voice. "Magic Games aside, what of the Magic Council? You know the law."

"No fighting between guilds."

"We can be labeled as a dark guild or disbanded for this." Mavis warned, but still said nothing to stop the plan.

"Is that all right with you, First?" Makarov asked suddenly.

"We will always fight for each other."

* * *

"And Lamia Scale's Toby Horhorta takes the win for the third battle of the day." Chapati announced. "We're at the half way mark, folks. There are four more exciting battles for you today, here at Domus Flau. For our fourth match, we have," He paused for dramatic effect. "Behemoth Valley versus Fairy Tail!"

"Interesting match up." Jura said thoughtfully.

"Interesting, indeed. I would have never thought the audience would vote on this pair." Yajima said.

"Let's see why they wanted to see these two guilds battle it out. Send out your players!" Chapati exclaimed.

On one side, a man as tall as Gildarts walked out onto the field. He wore a black muscle shirt that was too small for his very muscular torso and loose white pants. The crowd erupted into cheers. This man, with dark green hair and brown eyes, was Behemoth Valley's top S-class mage. At the age of thirty, he had a lot of experience with magic.

Natsu stepped out of the other gate with a serious expression, the playful, competitive persona gone with the news about his guild mate. The audience exploded into more screams of excitement.

"Wow." Yajima said, surprised at the noise level.

"It looks like this was the match up they were hoping for." Chapati yelled over the cheers. "We have two top notch competitors on the field once again. I'm a little surprised that Behemoth Valley sent out their ace player so early in the game."

"In this kind of format, guilds are likely to send in their best player first to keep their guild in the running." Jura commented.

"That is a very good point." Yajima agreed.

"Let's not delay any further! Olavo Gage of Behemoth Valley versus Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail!" Chapati exclaimed.

* * *

His world was dark. He saw nothing, heard nothing. But he felt warmth. It was comforting warmth that started from the sides of his head and traveled deep into his body. He felt the warmth start to invade his mind. He did nothing to stop it. It felt nice, in this solitary darkness, to have something so soothing. His magic didn't react, so this warmth was one of the good guys, right?

Ever so slowly, he began to wake from his deep slumber. One level at a time, he climbed back to the surface. The warmth was making a lighted path for him to follow. One step forward felt like it took at least five minutes. The process was slow, but he didn't feel so lonely anymore. After a while, he felt like he could break through to the top.

His body reconnected with his mind. He felt all of his muscles ready to do as he commanded, though they were a tad stiff. The warmth had not yet left him. Both of his cheeks were pressed up against whatever it was, now. The warm objects were long enough to reach his temples. He wanted to see this warmth, this guiding light. He scrunched up his eyebrows, testing his eyelids. One slowly opened, but the other was blocked with some kind of cloth material – it didn't matter, one was enough.

Next to him, stood a white blob. Colors mixed together, showing him nothing more than a watercolor painting gone wrong. He blinked once more. This blob had a mouth. It was moving. Was it mouthing something to him?

Gray.

Yes, that is what it was mouthing to him. Gray? What was a 'Gray?' The warmth swept through his mind once more. Oh, right, that was his name. The blob was mouthing something longer. He didn't understand. Gray blinked once more, his one eye's vision clearing up.

It wasn't a blob, but a figure in a white cloak with the hood on. The only thing visible was his or her mouth. They were mouthing something again.

Gray.

His name again? They had his attention, what more did they want? The warmth got warmer, but it never became hot. Now that he thought about it, what were they doing to him? Was this person a threat? More mouthing happened.

Can you hear me?

Oh, were they actually making noise at him. Why weren't his ears working, exactly? He couldn't remember. Then again, what had happened to him? Why was he lying down with this stranger standing above him?

Can you see me?

To this, Gray tried to nod. He felt the back of his head scrape against a soft surface. The mouth smiled at him, showing off perfectly straight, white teeth. The person shifted slightly. He felt the warmth move up his head a little more. A lock of hair fell out of the hood, swinging back and forth. It looked soft, Gray thought. What was this color of hair again? People called his hair dark blue or black, but people don't call this color of hair yellow. The warmth pulsed in his mind.

Ah, blonde. He remembered now. This color of hair was called blonde. The lock of hair was long, long enough to reach the bed. Wait, bed? Why was he lying in bed? Another object caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He shifted his sight to see what it was. A pale hand. His eyes traveled up the arm that the hand was connected to. It definitely wasn't his hand, that's for sure.

He was met with a mop of blue hair splayed around the side of the bed. The person was hunched over, probably asleep. Who was this person with long blue hair? The warmth persisted in its probing through his mind. Levy had blue hair, Wendy had blue hair… Who else had blue hair? Something nagged at his mind. He should remember this person sleeping slouched in a chair. Water was blue.

Juvia Lockser – the girl who constantly showered him with weird affections. What was she doing here? Another warm pulsing pulled his attention back to the person forcing this feeling into his body. Now, not only was the warmth invading his mind, it started to spread through his body like a lazy river.

The person had shifted some more while he was observing Juvia. More locks of hair had fallen out. Suddenly, his ears started to make a high-pitched buzz. He felt the warmth circulate around his ears before travelling away to another area in his body. The fingers of the person over him brush against his earlobe. He shivered. It's not that it felt good; the touch was too gentle, tickling his flesh.

"Can-hea-ow?"

Gray slowly blinked his eye. Was that the same language he spoke? More warmth was forced onto his inner ear.

"Gray?"

He heard that clearly. The voice was too high-pitched for a man. A girl, definitely. She had moved a little more, letting the sunlight from the window hit the side of her face. It was too slim to be a man. She had high cheekbones that fit perfectly with that smile she was giving him. She knew he could hear her.

Who was this stranger? What was she doing to him?

Her hands moved from his head to slide down his neck and settle on his shoulder. The warmth continued its invasion. It traveled faster down his body. He felt it wrap around the bones in his right forearm. Gray just realized that it was in a cast.

Her shoulders shifted slightly to get into a more comfortable position for her hands on his shoulder. The hood shifted back, revealing blonde bangs on her forehead and big brown eyes.

Pale skin, a sweet smile, blonde hair, and kind brown eyes. A woman.

This combination was familiar to him. It was on the tip of his tongue.

"Gray?" She asked softly, worriedly.

He hadn't heard this voice in almost a year. He knew this voice. He and the guild had been looking for the owner of this voice for eleven months. This woman with the blonde hair, kind brown eyes, and a smile to match. The hood slipped a little more. Her whole face now met with direct sunlight. Gray widened his eye slightly in realization.

"Lu-y!" Gray yelled in his crackling, dry voice as he bolted upright in a sitting position. He stared at the spot he saw her.

She was gone.

* * *

The battle had started out all right; with Natsu dodging every attack Olavo sent his way. But then, close to the twenty-minute mark, the Fire Dragon Slayer decided to make a move.

Chapati, Yajima, Jura, and most of the audience stared in shocked silence with their mouth agape. Down in the arena, Natsu Dragneel stood in the middle of a completely charred battlefield with Olavo Gage lying face down in front of him. It had taken less than three minutes to unleash a devastating fire. Part of the cement wall of the arena had melted slightly; leaving the audience in the front row with clothes that had burned somewhat.

The match was over.

* * *

ANSWERS:

* * *

 **How much dirt is in a hole 4 feet deep and 2 feet wide?**

There is no dirt in a hole.

* * *

 **A sword and shield cost 50 Jewel. If the sword cost 49 Jewels more than the ball, what is the cost of both?**

Sword = 49.50 Jewels

Shield = .50 Jewels

* * *

 **Which word is the odd one out?**

 **First, Second, Third, Forth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth**

Forth.

Forth is spelled incorrectly; instead, it should be fourth.

* * *

 **You are lost and alone in the woods. You stumble across an old cabin, and decide to stay there for the night. You want some heat and light, but the only things you find in the cabin are a candle, an oil lamp, and a wood burning stove. You look in our pocket but you only have one match left. What do you light first?**

The match.

* * *

 **A homicide detective is called to a crime scene. A man is lying dead in front of the building and seeing the position of the windows on the building and the position in which the body is lying, it is evident that the man jumped out from one of them and committed suicide.**

 **The detective asks his team to collect the traces if they can find any on the body and heads towards the building. He goes to the first floor and towards the room that is on the front side. Inside the room, he lights a cigarette, walks towards the window facing the dead body, opens the window and throws out the cigarette. He then goes to the second floor and repeats the same process.**

 **He keeps doing the same thing until he is done with all of the floors, and then takes the lift to the ground floor. Upon reaching there, he informs the team that it is not a suicide but a murder.**

 **While the whole team is shocked to hear the revelation, he lights another cigarette and takes a hard puff.**

 **How do you think he found out that it was not a suicide?**

Upon reaching each room, the detective found out that the window facing the dead body was closed. He had to open the window himself. This tells that there was somebody else with him who closed the window. If he had committed suicide, at least one window would have been open.

* * *

 **I am an odd number; take away an alphabet letter and I become even. What number am I?**

7\. (Seven – S = even)

* * *

 **Two empty jugs (3 gallons, 5 gallons)**

 **Measure exactly 1 gallon without wasting any water.**

Fill 3 gallon jug, and then pour into 5 gallon jug.

Fill 3 gallons jug again, dump into 5 gallon jug until 5 gallon jug is full.

What is left in 3 gallon jug is 1 gallon.

* * *

 **A person has uncovered a secret that was a mystery for ages. He transfers the data into his lacrima hard drive and encrypts the drive with a password. Then, he writes a line on paper to remember the password.**

 **The line says: "You force heaven to be empty".**

 **Decrypt the line to reveal the password if you know that the password is seven characters long that comprise of just letters and numbers?**

The password is U472BMT

Read aloud the line and it will sound similar.

Hint: Read it quickly

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own these riddles.


	21. The Fairy's Secret

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One: The Fairy's Secret

* * *

"And Fairy Tail has done it again!" Chapati Lola yelled. "Natsu Dragneel wins the fourth battle of the day!"

"Impressive, as usual." Jura said, recovering from his astonishment.

"It looked like Natsu was just testing out his opponent for 95% of the battle." Yajima sighed, used to the recklessness of this guild.

"What's this? What's going on in Fairy Tail's balcony?" Chapati asked, prompting everyone, including Natsu, to look over.

It was chaos in the balcony, to put it lightly. The guild members were scrambling around, their backs facing the arena. Everyone was frantically trying to either go out of the balcony or look past the doorway. Master Makarov was noticeably missing from his usual seat in the front row. Now that the cheering had died down, the noise from the balcony became noticeable.

Natsu ran out of the arena without anyone noticing. He made his way through the corridor, and then up the stairs, taking three at a time. After more running, the Fire Dragon Slayer found himself in the corridor that held Fairy Tail's infirmary and, further down, the entrance to the balcony.

"What happened?" Natsu asked, as he got closer. Erza turned to him when she heard. Just outside of the closed infirmary door and all throughout the hallway, stood most of the guild members.

"We don't know." Erza replied, biting her cheek.

"We just heard Juvia yelling for Wendy and Porlyusica." Gajeel informed.

"Master and First are inside, as well." Erza added.

"They didn't want too many people crowding in." Laxus said, leaning against the wall.

"Damn it, Gray." Natsu huffed in frustration.

* * *

"H-How?" Porlyusica stuttered uncharacteristically. She hastily took off all of the bandages on the Ice Make mage, seeing the dried blood on the bandage, but no wound to be found.

"Gray-san, your arm is healed." Wendy said in shock, inspecting the former injury.

"Yeah," The Ice Make wizard replied breathlessly. He had been drinking the water Juvia gave him nonstop, but his throat still felt like a desert.

"Do you know who we are?" Mavis asked gently, floating over to stand by Porlyusica.

"Of course, First Master." Gray replied, wincing slightly as Fairy Tail's medical advisor probed the tender skin healing over a wound.

"I thought Porlyusica-san said Gray-sama would have memory problems?" Juvia asked.

"He should, but it seems like he healed everything in the last hour we were away." Porlyusica said with uncertainty. "When I said to pray, I never expected something like this would happen."

"What are you talking about?" Gray questioned with a raised eyebrow. Him? Brain damage? Memory problems? "What happened?"

"It's common not to remember the events leading up to a trauma." Porlyusica said, shining a light into his eye.

"I have never felt this magic before." Makarov mumbled. He stood on the other side of the bed where the window allowed sunlight inside the room.

"It is foreign to me, as well." Mavis agreed.

"You didn't see anyone, Juvia?" Makarov asked.

"Juvia is sorry. She was asleep." The Water mage apologized.

"I told you before, I saw Lucy." Gray interrupted.

"If you're so insistent that it was Lucy who came in here, does this feel like her magic presence to you?" Makarov asked seriously. The Ice Make mage looked down, adverting his eyes. "We have to be careful. It wouldn't be the first time someone broke into the infirmary."

"I know, but…" Gray started to say. "I know who I saw."

"Transformation magic isn't exactly a rare magic, Gray." Mavis reminded. Juvia placed a comforting hand on Gray's calf on the bed.

"Juvia believes Gray-sama." Juvia testified.

"Are you suggesting that Lucy came in here, without you noticing, and left, in a blink of an eye?" Makarov asked. "If it were really her, wouldn't she stay when either you or Gray woke up? Why would she run from family?"

Juvia opened her mouth to answer but had no words. Master made a good point.

"Do you smell anything, Wendy?" Mavis asked gently. The Sky Dragon Slayer took a break from frantically checking Gray over and took a sniff of the air.

"You said she was here, Gray-san?" Wendy asked, pointing to where she was standing now. He nodded back. "I don't smell much at this spot."

"She touched my face and my shoulders." Gray piped up, turning his cheek to the youngest girl. Wendy raised an eyebrow but leaned in with a blush. She had never been this close to a boy before.

"I smell Lucy-san!" Wendy exclaimed happily, leaning back.

"Transformation magic can copy more than just appearance." Porlyusica reminded.

"Right," The Sky Dragon Slayer sighed.

"Was there something different about this Lucy?" Mavis asked. Gray thought about his quick encounter.

"H-Her eye." The Ice Make mage whispered in surprise.

"Her eye?" Makarov asked.

"One of them was shining gold." Gray answered with a gulp.

"And you're saying you feel _all right_?" Mavis asked worriedly.

"That woman could have done anything to you!" Juvia said in alarm, standing up from her seat on the edge of the bed.

"I…" The Ice Make mage trailed off.

"Hypothetically, let's agree that it was Lucy." Makarov said. "How did she disappear?"

"Perhaps she learned teleportation magic?" Mavis proposed.

"Her ghost?" Porlyusica said absent-mindedly as she treated Gray's newly formed skin on his former wounds. She looked up from her work when she felt all eyes on her. "It's not unheard of. This world is full of magic."

Silence. No one dared to talk. All eyes adverted to the ground or outside the window.

"For now," Mavis said softly. "We will focus on Gray. What happened already happened, and we can't undo it. Whatever spell is on him, we need to focus on that."

* * *

"On to the fifth battle today." Chapati said, drawing the audience's attention back.

Yajima continued staring at the, now, nearly empty balcony. The whole guild had rushed out in such a panic. He'd have to visit his old friend later to see if everything was all right.

Jura had the same idea. He and his guild were good friends with Fairy Tail, and they'd stop at nothing to help each other out. Lyon especially if it involved his junior pupil.

* * *

"That's great news!" Mirajane exclaimed as the guild cheered in the hallway. Makarov looked solemn. "Isn't it, Master?" The guild members quieted down.

"Someone broke into the infirmary." Mavis said standing in front of all of the members that had joined the guild she helped create. "They put a spell on him."

"What does it do?" Erza asked.

"It can't be all that bad if it woke him up, right?" Natsu questioned next.

"We're not sure." Makarov said. "Porlyusica is working on identifying the spell."

"The magic doesn't feel familiar? Maybe it was Chelia?" Lisanna suggested.

"We've never felt this magic presence before." Mavis said. "That's why we're being very careful with Gray, as of this moment."

"No one saw this person?" Laxus asked next.

"Juvia was sleeping and Gray…" Makarov trailed off.

"What about Gray?" Mira insisted.

"He insists that he saw Lucy-san." Wendy said, coming out of the infirmary.

"L-Lucy?" Natsu stuttered.

"Why… He-" Mira couldn't find her words.

"He woke up and said he saw her." Mavis informed, looking over the shocked faces of the guild members. "She disappeared before he could talk to her."

"Why would Lucy…? How did she…?" Erza stammered, asking questions she couldn't quite form.

"Transformation magic is one answer." Makarov said. "Teleportation magic is another."

"So it could've been anyone?" Freed sighed.

"We've also talked about it… being her ghost." Mavis added softly.

"Ghost?" Cana asked, her hand shaking as it held onto her purse. Was that why she couldn't get a reading on Lucy with her cards? Had her soul departed before the Death Card could get a signal from her?

A shiver ran down their spines.

"Porlyusica-san and I have done all we could to check over the spell and any possible effects it would have on Gray-san." Wendy said after a short silence from the group.

"Did she find out what the spell is?" Mira asked.

"Sorry," Wendy whispered, looking down. "The magic is very intricate, and the spell even more so. But, to me, it doesn't smell like a _bad_ magic."

"Maybe the Dragon Slayers will have a better chance at finding something out." Mavis suggested. "Their senses are far superior than ours."

"Natsu, Gajeel, Laxus, have a go at it." Makarov commanded, motioning towards the slightly opened door. The three nodded. Wendy stepped back inside.

"You didn't find a scent, Wendy?" Natsu asked, sniffing around the doorway. He then turned his eyes to the Ice Make mage.

"Not in the spot where Gray said she was standing." Wendy replied. "But Lucy-san's scent was on him."

"Hey," Gray greeted.

"You wake up and already get into trouble?" Natsu joked, grinning. The Fire Dragon Slayer walked to the bedside.

Gray looked better. He had his bandages off, revealing the half of his face that was covered for the majority of the last thirty hours. The cast was off, as well, allowing his right arm to support a bowl of broth.

"Yeah, well," The Ice Make wizard said with a small chuckle.

"Gray-sama, be careful," Juvia chastised lightly, seeing the bowl shake. "The broth is hot." He waved off her concern.

Lucy, Natsu thought as he stood beside his rival. The scent that had haunted his mind rose up from the Ice mage, though only slightly. He scented the air around the bed and found nothing else.

"Whoever it was didn't come through the door." Laxus said.

"The window, either." Gajeel added.

"It's only on you." Natsu finished, looking straight into the dark eyes of the Ice Make wizard.

"I know what I saw." Gray insisted. "I don't know if she was a ghost or a person using transformation magic, but it was her face."

"Wendy already told us that much." Laxus informed. "I don't know what you hope to gain from this, Gramps. If Wendy can't find anything, none of us will have better shot at it."

"Is the magic familiar to anyone?" Makarov asked. All eyes turned to Gray, sensing the magic still present in his body. "Maybe we'll have a better chance of finding them if we know the type of magic."

"It's nothing I've ever felt." Gajeel grunted, crossing his arms. The other two nodded.

Wendy and Porlyusica sighed in disappointment.

"We'll continue asking the rest of the members." Mavis said from the doorway, letting the others hear. "I hope you're up for visitors, Gray."

"Sure." Gray said, smiling lightly as he saw some of the other members peek their head around the doorway.

* * *

"You should rest, Wendy." Charle chastised. "You've been using you magic constantly these past two days."

"I know, I'm sorry, Charle." Wendy said, but hurriedly flipped through a book Porlyusica had handed her. They were still inside the infirmary, but now on the spare bed in the back of the room.

"What are you looking for?" Happy asked. He had already cried his eyes out on Gray's bare torso and decided to take a rest with the two of them.

"Anything that resembles the magic that was used on Gray-san." Wendy replied, not looking up from the book.

"Maybe we can help?" Pantherlily suggested as he flew over, dragging another book from the pile and opening it up.

"Look for any rapid healing spell." Porlyusica commanded from the table in the corner with her own stack of books. "Something strong enough to heal delicate head trauma."

"Wendy's magic wasn't enough?" Charle asked.

"Not to something this severe." Porlyusica said. "It would've taken time and a lot of magic for Wendy to heal that much head trauma."

"This spell must be amazing then, if Wendy's magic can only do that much." Happy said worriedly. "I hope Gray will be all right."

"He looks okay, for now." Wendy sighed.

"We just have to hope he stays that way." Lily added, looking over to the Ice Make mage and some of their guild members.

"Gray-sama, you should take it easy." Juvia said, holding onto his arm as he attempted to get up. The medical team regarded them.

"Where are you going?" Natsu asked, going to his rival's other side for support.

"There's something I feel…" Gray trailed off, accepting their help to get up.

Laxus, Gajeel, and the Take-Over siblings watched in curiosity by the doorframe where they had taken up guard duty.

"This warmth has been pulsing in me since whoever-it-was left. It's like a heartbeat." Gray informed.

"And you tell us now?" Porlyusica complained, switching books.

"Wait, you said it felt warm?" Mira interrupted.

"Yeah. Like when you drink something hot and the warmth goes through your body." Gray said, stepping forward.

"That sounds pleasant." Lisanna whispered. Her brother nodded in agreement.

"What do you feel?" Erza questioned, standing nearby in case he stumbled.

The Ice Make mage walked to the side of the window, standing just in front of a bright ray of sunlight. Gray swallowed a nervous lump in his throat. He clutched his left hand to his chest. On the back of his left hand was a jagged wound that ran half way down the top of his forearm. The wound had since closed, but the skin was still raw, and only starting to heal the other layers of flesh to further protect his body.

"The spell is pulling me here." Gray said, extending his arm so it made direct contact with the sun's ray of light. In front of everyone's eyes, Gray's wound started to build up more layers of skin. One coating at a time, his skin grew back at a quicker pace until it finished the last one, leaving Gray's left arm with smooth skin and no scarring.

"And we're saying this spell is bad?" Natsu asked, turning to Makarov and Mavis.

"It was just a possibility." Makarov answered.

"The spell worked faster in the sun?" Mavis questioned, walking towards the Ice Make mage to inspect his arm.

"It's warmer, too." Gray informed, letting the First Master touch the newly formed flesh.

"So it pulls energy from the sun." Laxus concluded.

"And when Gray is all healed up? What then?" Gajeel asked.

"What if it takes over his mind?" Happy gasped, flying around wildly.

"Would you knock it off?" Charle harrumphed.

"That is a good point, though." Elfman informed. "What if they want something in return?"

"What happens when the sun goes down?" Wendy questioned.

"Will it do the opposite?" Juvia asked worriedly.

"You think it would start to damage him?" Erza said with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't see why they would go through the trouble to heal me in the middle of the day, just for it kill me after I'm completely healed." Gray said bluntly. "They could've just killed me when they entered the room, if that was their goal."

"Maybe the magic they used is connected to the sun? Sun magic?" Mira suggested.

"Or maybe the spell was so complicated and used a lot of energy, the caster needed to link it to another source." Lisanna added.

"I've never heard of Sun magic, Nee-san." Elfman sighed.

"Is it possible to link one's magic to another source?" Erza asked.

"I thought magic only came from the user. Unless it was a Unison Raid?" Natsu said, scratching his head.

"We're not going to get anywhere like this." Gajeel grunted.

"We'll just wait." Mavis concluded.

"You really think it was Lucy?" Laxus asked, his eyes boring into the Ice Make wizard's. Gray stared back and answered with a nod. "Then there's nothing to worry about. Even if she's been gone for a year, she's still our guild mate, isn't she?"

* * *

Later that day, after the sun had set, Fairy Tail was found celebrating in Bar Sun. On the walk over from the hotel to the bar made the wizards realize that starlight also increased the speed of the spell placed on Gray. The Games had ended earlier that evening, leaving everyone with a bit of free time before they were to meet at Bar Sun to decide if they wanted to raid Zepar War's hotel.

"He just recovered, don't gaud him into a fight, Natsu!" Lisanna yelled over her noisy guild mates.

"Come at me, droopy eyes!" Natsu growled, getting forehead to forehead with his rival.

"Would love to, squinty eyes!" Gray hissed.

"Are you fighting?" Erza asked, coming up to the two.

"No." Natsu and Gray squeaked in sync.

"Where's Master?" Mira asked the Lightning Dragon Slayer.

"He and First were discussing something back at the hotel." Laxus answered, accepting the drink she placed in his hand.

"Probably about tonight's raid." Freed added.

* * *

Third/Sixth Master Makarov and First Master Mavis walked along the deserted roads of Crocus. It was getting late and most residents and tourists were in their homes and hotels. Maybe they were partying it up like Fairy Tail was?

Their attention was caught by a group of young adults standing in the fountain park across the street. There were five men, all with the same face but different hairstyles. They had dark skin similar to Ren Akatsuki, black hair, and glowing yellow eyes. The men surrounded a person wearing a white cloak and sitting on the edge of the fountain, gliding their fingers lightly over the water's surface.

"Does that person seem familiar to you?" Mavis whispered.

"Gray did say white cloak." Makarov said, taking even steps towards the group.

"We are quite outnumbered." She reminded, following him.

"We can take them." Makarov answered. "Besides, we just want to talk, don't we?"

"If you insist." Mavis said with a small giggle. She knew how Fairy Tail was, fight first, talk later.

"Excuse me." Makarov coughed. The group looked over, prompting the white-cloaked figure to gasp and stand up. The group of men stood in a formidable line between Makarov and the figure. The men started to growl like dogs, showing off fangs. The Wizard Saint raised an eyebrow. Were these men not human? Or, perhaps, Dragon Slayers?

The white-cloaked figure turned around to walk away but gasped again, "First Master!"

"You can see me?" Mavis asked, just as shocked. The men turned around with confused looks.

* * *

"Look out!" Natsu yelled cheerfully as he rolled on a barrel of ale. Pretty quickly, the Fire Dragon Slayer crashed into the wall.

"Gray, you really shouldn't attempt it." Mira said with a light laugh.

"I feel fine," Gray reassured, elongating his last word. He got on top of a board that was laid out on three barrels of alcohol.

"Are you sure?" Laki asked, making a nervous face. The landing area for this 'ride' was cluttered with tipped over chairs, signs, and tables, plus, a piece of cake that had been knocked out of Erza's hand. Elfman had long since been knocked out, and was leaning against the wall.

"Maybe we're too drunk to go on this raid?" Levy commented, drinking her own glass of poison.

"Maybe," Cana agreed with a shrug and a smug smile. "That'll make it all the more fun."

"Cheers!" Jet and Droy yelled, holding their glasses into the air.

"Cheers!" The rest of the guild screamed, holding up their glasses. Even the more subdued members held up their glasses with smiles. It was good to have no worries after all of the stress.

* * *

"H-Hi," The white-cloaked figure said with a nervous laugh, putting her hands up in surrender. "It's all right, guys. Take a break." The men stopped their growling and opened up a gap for the short old man to get to the cloaked figure. That, however, didn't stop the suspicious looks.

"That mark." Makarov said in surprise, spotting the pink Fairy Tail insignia on the figure's right hand.

"It's been a while, Master, First Master." She said, a smile evident in her voice. Lightly, she gripped the edge of her hood and pulled it back revealing long blonde hair, pale skin, and brown eyes. "Hi." She waved her hand slightly in greeting.

"Lucy," Makarov whispered, his mind still trying to catch up.

"How do we know you're the real Lucy?" Mavis asked with a cock of her head.

"My magic feels different, doesn't it?" Lucy said in understanding. She placed a finger on her lips in thought, turning to the five men, now behind her, for help.

"I can barely feel your magic, at all." Makarov said.

"Oh," Lucy said in surprise. "I forgot about the properties of this cloak. It doesn't allow my magic to be felt by others or leave my scent anywhere. That's probably why."

"I see," Mavis whispered.

"I can call Loke." The Celestial mage said. She held out her hand by her head as if she were holding something. A golden key appeared in her hand.

"Re-quip?" Makarov asked.

"I've been training." Lucy giggled, pouring some magic into the object, allowing it to glow. "Loke, come help me, will you?"

"Princess," Loke greeted as he appeared from a golden magic circle next to his owner. "Ah, Master, First Master, how are you?"

"Sh-She's really…?" Makarov stuttered, his eyes widening.

"Definitely the real deal." Loke chuckled, slinging an arm around Lucy's shoulder. The Celestial mage rolled her eyes playfully.

"Lucy!" Mavis yelled, clinging to the girl's leg in a ghost hug. "It's good to see you're home safe."

"My child," Makarov said, fat tears gathering in his eyes as he joined Mavis at Lucy's legs. The blonde shivered as she felt the unwelcomed touch on her butt.

"Is that really necessary, Master?" Lucy said between grinding teeth, prompting the other six men to growl. Makarov laughed nervously, covering it with a cough as he backed away.

"Before we really start celebrating," Mavis cut in. "Was it you who healed Gray this afternoon?"

"Sure was." Lucy said with a grin.

"Why'd you leave?" Makarov asked.

"Well, Gemini was transformed into Doranbolt, so we could get around easier." Lucy said as she looked up to the sky in thought. "Then when Gray _bolted_ up like he did, he scared them, and then _poof,_ " Lucy said with exaggerated sound effects and using her hands to create an exploding motion. "We were teleported out of there. And let me tell you, where we ended up was _not_ fun." She finished, sighing in dismay at the thought.

"I see." Mavis and Makarov said in small voices at the same time.

"And they are?" Mavis asked, pointing to the other men around.

"Today's body guards." Loke answered before turning to his owner. "Princess, you're still recovering magic, so I'll take my leave."

"Sure, Loke. Thanks!" Lucy said gratefully as the Lion Spirit started to disappear.

"Body guards?" Makarov asked.

"It's a long story for another time." The Celestial mage replied. "But these guys are the Spirit of the Hunting Dogs, Canes Venatici."

"A new key, I presume?" Makarov said with a greeting nod towards the men.

"Right." Lucy confirmed. "Long pony-tail guy is Alpha, short choppy hair guy is Beta, close shaved guy is Gamma, medium hair guy is Delta, and the one with a short rat-tail is Epsilon." The five men lightly bowed in greeting.

"I thought their names would be their constellation?" Mavis questioned.

"It's hard when there are five spirits in one constellation." Lucy informed with a nervous laugh.

"Well let's get to the others so you can start on this story of yours." Makarov said with a smile, turning to walk towards Bar Sun.

"Actually, Master." Lucy whispered. "I've been in Crocus for a few days now. There's something you need to know."

"And this something has stopped you from coming home?" Mavis concluded. The Celestial mage nodded in confirmation.

"What is it, Lucy?" Makarov questioned.

"It's about your son." Lucy said, summoning a small pile of paper into her hands. "He's been trying to target our members, to have leverage over you."

"The news reports did say that Nullpudding, Kurohebi, and Ethan Melech were all captured in the past two days." Mavis thought out loud. "That was you?"

"And my Spirits." Lucy confirmed, handing Master the papers. "I thought you'd want these back."

Makarov skimmed through the papers with Mavis looking over his shoulder. His eyes widened.

"Have you read these?" Makarov asked, looking up.

"I've skimmed a bit." Lucy admitted, rubbing the back of her head nervously. "Ivan kept talking about Fairy Tail's secret weapon and how'd he'd use our dark side to take us over. It doesn't say much other than this 'weapon' is called Lumen Histoire."

"It is not a dark side." Mavis said softly, looking straight into the Celestial mage's eyes. "It's the light side of our guild."

"Please, Lucy, do not share this with anyone." Makarov said, putting his trust in the younger blonde.

"Would you rather I erase my memory of its existence?" Lucy offered. "Gemini still remembers Doranbolt, and he can use memory altering magic, can't he?"

"No, it is all right, my dear." Makarov said, safely tucking the papers into his shirt. "Thank you for retrieving these."

"How did you find out about his plans in the first place?" Mavis asked.

"Well, Loke took me to train on this island off the west coast of Fiore," Lucy started.

* * *

…

* * *

" _You're trying to kill me," Lucy groaned, sluggishly running on the beach._

" _Oh, come on, we only have one more lap to go." Loke chuckled, jogging in place._

" _Yeah, another freaking lap around the_ whole _island!" Lucy shouted, collapsing onto the sand. "This is our fourth one." She whined. The Lion Spirit continued to chuckle as he walked over to her and sat down, as well._

" _Well, if you're so tired, we'll stop here." He said, bending one leg and stretching out the other. "Time to stretch out those muscles."_

" _Fine," Lucy sighed, copying his movements. After a few stretches on their legs, they moved on to arm stretches. She looked up and spotted a ship approaching their, relatively deserted, island. "You see that, right? It's not some weird fatigue illusion?"_

" _Get up." Loke commanded seriously, standing up himself. He grabbed her arm and lifted her._

" _Wh-what's going on?"_

" _Go back to the house."_

" _The house is on the other side of the island!" Lucy gasped._

" _Then hide," Loke hissed, running into the tree line, holding her wrist now._

" _L-Loke, slow down." Lucy begged, stumbling through the vines._

" _Come on, up the tree."_

" _You can't be serious."_

" _Dead serious. Go." Loke grunted, putting his hands on her waist and lifting her as far as he could. She let out a yelp, hastily hanging onto the lowest branch to steady herself. He let go and Lucy put her feet on the trunk of the tree to walk up it the best she could so she could sit on the branch._

" _You've gone mad." She hissed, feeling the branch shake as he jumped on as well._

" _Desperate times, calls for desperate measures, princess." Loke said, watching the ship dock on shore._

" _Do you know them?"_

" _No, but they could be the ones hunting us down. They'll kill you without thinking twice." She nodded in understanding._

* * *

 _A tall man with black hair stepped out of the ship by climbing down a ladder. A short, purple skinned man followed, and then a skinny man with black lips. Finally, a boy around sixteen years of age climbed down, as well._

" _A deserted island?" The purple man said with a smirk. "Perfect place."_

" _The council will never find us here." The skinny one agreed._

" _Let's go over the plan." Their leader, the black haired man, said. "Especially you." He pointed to the youngest of the group._

" _Yes, sir." The sixteen year old said._

" _We're going for Fairy Tail's ultimate weapon, Lumen Histoire. These papers should tell us more about it and, hopefully, its location." The man said._

" _I can't believe how easy it was to steal these from Fairy Tail's guild hall." The youngest chuckled._

* * *

" _Lumen Histoire?" Lucy whispered. "Have you heard of that?"_

" _No." Loke whispered back. "But an ultimate weapon? No wonder Ivan Dreyar wants it."_

" _Was that why he was after us last year at the Grand Magic Games?" Lucy questioned. He replied with a shrug._

* * *

" _When should we strike?" Kurohebi asked in his breathy, dark voice._

" _When they're busy with the Grand Magic Games." Ivan Dreyar answered._

" _Again?" Nullpudding grumbled._

" _We won't be participating, this time. We'll take down their mages one by one, behind the scenes." Ivan said with a smirk._

" _Why don't we take some as hostages?" The youngest, Ethan Melech, suggested._

" _Great idea." Ivan said with a chuckle._

 _The group proceeded to stay for the rest of the day before going back into their ship and sailing towards a different section of Fiore to get ready for their attack. The Grand Magic Games were only two weeks away, after all._

* * *

 _..._

* * *

"And then whatever information I got afterwards came from us spying or Musca spying for me." Lucy added.

"Musca?" Makarov asked. Lucy summoned a black key to her hand.

"Another new key. You've heard the expression 'fly on the wall,' right?" The Celestial mage asked, putting the key back into her magical inventory. The two Masters nodded. "She's basically the living definition of that. As the Spirit of the Fly, she can transform into a teeny-tiny fly and spy on anyone or anything. And then she'll send everything she hears or sees telepathically to me. Plus, in her beast form, her magic is basically undetectable." Lucy smiled. "Useful, right?"

"You're like Fairy Tail's secret spy." Mavis giggled.

"Do you know where Ivan is now?" Makarov asked.

"Hmm, somewhere in Crocus is all I know." Lucy sighed. "I had to close her gate to get enough magic to heal Gray. He's probably looking for an opportunity to get you off guard, Master."

"I'll be sure to keep a look out." Makarov said.

"We were out looking for him." Lucy said, motioning to her guards who were silently keeping watch.

"You've done more than enough." Mavis said suddenly. "You can come home now."

"But if I can get Musca back out to track him while the rest of us are busy, we can act before he does anything." Lucy suggested.

"Why don't you go rest?" Makarov interrupted. All eyes turned to him. "First Master is correct, you've done more than enough." The Titan mage smiled. "Rest up to get all of your magic back."

"How come I need all of my magic, Master?" Lucy questioned.

"You'll be participating in tomorrow's battle round." Makarov replied.

"What? I will?" Lucy asked, surprised.

"Show us what you've learned." Mavis encouraged, catching on to his plan.

"You know I don't do well in these things." The Celestial mage protested nervously.

"It's all right." Makarov said, motioning for Lucy to kneel down. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I believe in you."

"And wouldn't that be a good surprise for the others?" Mavis asked, smiling brightly. "They've been looking for you."

"Besides, someone has to take Gray's spot in the battle round." Makarov added.

"He's all healed now, though." Lucy said in confusion.

"We can still play it off as an injury." Makarov said with a wave of his hand.

"If you insist." Lucy sighed, smiling slightly. "I'll do my best."

* * *

"Where have you been, Master, First Master?" Erza asked as the duo walked in through the door.

"We met up with Fairy Tail's spy." Makarov answered, sporting a knowing smile towards Mavis.

"Spy?" Erza questioned with a raised eyebrow. The guild members in the bar quieted down to hear the news.

"We have a spy?!" Natsu gasped. "A secret one?"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Laxus asked.

"It's a rather new position." Mavis said, giggling.

"Did this… err… _spy_ have any news for us?" Mirajane asked.

"And are we going to raid Zepar War or what?" Natsu complained.

"We have more important matters than Zepar War." Makarov said, suddenly turning serious.

"Our spy has intercepted some mages that were attacking us." Mavis explained, hopping onto a seat.

"People were attacking us?" Wendy asked.

"Right." Makarov said. "Raven Tail."

"Again?" Gray growled.

"That would explain why some of their members were put in jail recently." Romeo piped up. "And to think it was a member of Fairy Tail who did it." He added proudly.

"Who is this 'spy' of ours, anyways?" Macao asked.

"That is not important." Makarov played off. "All of the remaining members of Raven Tail have been caught, but Ivan is still out there." Laxus turned sharp eyes to his grandfather. "Everyone, be on your guard until he can be found."

"Our 'spy' lost him?" Gajeel scoffed. In his days as a double agent for Fairy Tail, he never lost Ivan.

"For a fellow member of Fairy Tail, they had no choice but to lose him or else see one of us hurt." Makarov argued. Gajeel was effectively quieted.

"So for the past two days, most of us were being followed and targeted without any one of us knowing?" Natsu asked, his eyes going wide. Why hadn't anyone sensed anything odd?

"Most likely." Mavis answered.

"Well, damn." Gray grunted, running a hand through his hair.

"They're good." Cana praised before drinking her beer.

"So, what now?" Erza asked.

"Zepar War will get what's coming to them." Makarov said. "But tonight is not the night. Until Ivan is found, everyone will be on the lookout."

"Never go anywhere alone." Mavis added.

"And keep this a secret." Makarov finished, looking at each of his children.


	22. Warzone

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Two: Warzone

* * *

Yukino jogged with Sting, Rogue, Lector, and Frosch. They were running late after getting breakfast. The Games were about to begin any second now! And, as if the start to their day couldn't get any worse, Rogue was supposed to be participating in today's mini game. Unfortunately for the Sabertooth members, there was quite a crowd bustling about the city at this time of day. The five of them squeezed through the best they could.

A rather tall gentleman bumped into the Celestial wizard, making her stumble back. He grabbed her forearm to steady her and make sure she didn't actually fall. Sting and Rogue didn't stop for their guild mate who was in the back of the group. They didn't see the encounter. Yukino stared up at the man briefly.

"I apologize. I was in a rush."

"I apologize, as well." Yukino whispered. There was something about this man. He was part of the council, but there was just something that was off.

The man nodded and continued on his way.

With a jolt, the Celestial mage realized that she was being left behind. Quickly, she jogged after her guild mates, forgetting about the accident.

Behind her, blending into the crowd, the man smiled as he changed forms. Where a man in white clothing once stood was a perfect copy of Yukino.

* * *

"Welcome to the third day of the Grand Magic Games!" Chapati Lola greeted. "On the lacrima-tron are the scores of the remaining guilds! We're half way through the competition, who do you think will win it all!?"

 _Fairy Tail – 14_

 _Sabertooth – 12_

 _Lamia Scale – 4_

 _Blue Pegasus – 0_

 _Mermaid Heel – 0_

 _Quatro Cerberus – 0_

 _Zepar War – 0_

"Today, we welcome a new guest to the announcer's booth. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome a reporter from Sorcerer's Weekly, Jason!" Chapati introduced.

"Cool!" Jason yelled.

"Yajima-san is also here with us, once again." Chapati added.

"Good morning." Yajima greeted.

"There are a lot of teams with zero points, how do you think that will effect the Games as we get closer to the finale?" Chapati asked.

"I think there will be more desperation to win today's game." Yajima answered.

"Cool! Cool! The guilds will definitely do all they can to stay in the fight for first place." Jason said.

"Let's get started, then!" Chapati announced, prompting Mato to skip out onto the field.

"Today's game is called…" Mato started to say. "High Speed! 'Kin!"

"There you have it, folks!" Chapati said in excitement. "High Speed is the game. Guilds, please send in your assigned players!"

The announcers and Mato stayed quiet as the guild members made their way down from their balcony. After a few minutes, six individuals were in the arena.

"Someone's missing, 'kin." The Games' mascot said nervously.

"Sabertooth is missing!" Chapati said in alarm, trying to hype the audience. "Are they foregoing this game?!"

"They have enough points to survive into the next round without playing." Yajima noticed.

"Cool! It's Rogue Cheney!" Jason said excitedly as the Shadow Dragon Slayer ran out of the gate, panting as he made it to the group.

"Ah, there they are." Chapati said in relief.

"Gi-hee nice going there, Ryos." Gajeel taunted.

"I told you not to call me that." Rogue growled breathlessly.

"Mato, would you like to explain the rules for today?" Chapati asked through the microphone.

"Today, you'll be racing around a track that lines the outside of Domus Flau." Mato started to explain. "You are, once again, allowed to try and knock each other out of the game. And you must finish fifty laps around before anyone can win, 'kin!"

"Fifty laps?!" The participants gasped. They were expected to run fifty laps around Domus Flau?! One lap around was already two miles long!

"Of course, you won't just be running." Chapati said in amusement. "Please turn your attention to the lacrima-tron!"

On the screen was a shot of seven magic four-wheel vehicles with a guild's insignia on the side door.

"Competitors, get to your stations! 'Kin!" Mato yelled excitedly.

* * *

Fairy Tail sighed when the lacrima-tron showed the cars. They weren't going to win this.

* * *

Hibiki Lates kept a close eye on one particular competitor as he strapped on the Self Energy Plug. Darrel Callisto of Zepar War hardly reached the foot pedals when he sat in the driver's seat. The Archive mage had done his research on the young boy. If he weren't careful, he, and most likely all of the other competitors, would be knocked out before the game even started.

Gajeel and Rogue were already looking green before the SE-plug was even strapped onto their wrists. Lamia Scale's Chelia Blendy looked nervous. Although she was physically tall enough to reach the pedals and driving wheel, she was still too young to be allowed to drive one.

Eventually, everyone was in his or her designated car. The magic cars rumbled as the engines got ready to go. The participants waited anxiously for a Games employee to shoot off a flare of green light. Hibiki had his wheel turned completely to the right. It was a good thing Blue Pegasus' car was placed at the edge, away from Domus Flau.

A loud bang was heard as the signal went off.

"Retaliate! Lightning God Slayer!" Darrel yelled in his high-pitched voice.

Six copies of Orga Nanagear appeared directly in front of every opponent.

Hibiki slammed down the pedal, prompting the magic vehicle to draw out his magic rapidly. The car hazardously jerked to the right, almost tipping over. Hibiki gritted his teeth as he turned the wheel the other way, swerving from one side to the other. The car tipped between the two right wheels to the two left wheels. He skillfully dodged the electric attacks shot his way by the copy of Sabertooth's member.

* * *

Pained screams of the competitors echoed in the stadium from the lacrima-tron, putting everyone in a state of shock. The screen shined brightly as the electric attacks rained down on the contestants except Darrel and the runaway Hibiki.

A few minutes past in pure silence. The lacrima camera floated around, showing magic cars flipped over in all directions. The riders of the cars not too far away, lying scattered about.

"I-I can't believe it." Yajima whispered in disbelief.

"Wh-what kind of magic is that?" Chapati asked.

"I have never seen this magic, either." Jason said, losing his enthusiasm.

"Retaliation magic." Yajima answered, composing himself. "It's a Lost Magic."

"What exactly does it do?" Chapati asked nervously. The lacrima-tron changed to show Hibiki speeding his way forward. Darrel was a little behind and swaying from side to side because the young boy couldn't see over the steering wheel.

"The user has to lose a fight against someone for the magic to be of any effect." Yajima started to explain. "Though a battle could also be staged for it to work, as well."

"Darrel Castillo lost in the first day of the Grand Magic Games to Orga Nanagear." Chapati reminded the audience.

"Retaliation magic could be used at any time afterwards." The former council member continued. "The user can make limitless copies of the person he or she lost to. Copies can attack at five times the amount of magic power as the original. In this case, five times as strong as Orga."

"Why isn't this magic more commonly seen? There are multiple Dragon Slayers and God Slayers, which are also types of Lost Magic." Jason asked.

"The drawback to this magic is that the power can only be used once for each opponent the user loses against." Yajima answered.

"So after today, Darrel can no longer make copies of Orga?" Chapati asked to confirm.

"Correct." Yajima responded. "Unless Darrel was defeated again by Orga."

* * *

"Wow! You dodged it!" Darrel yelled over the roaring wind rushing past him. "You're so cool!"

"You should be careful." Hibiki yelled back. They were about sixty feet from each other, but Darrel was slowing down due to his short stature and inability to function the magic vehicle correctly. The Archive mage didn't have time to dawdle. He wanted to finish this race and check on the others. With that thought, Hibiki slammed down the pedal once more, speeding away from the nine year old.

* * *

"They're on the thirtieth lap!" Chapati announced. The lacrima-tron flipped between Blue Pegasus, Zepar War, and a devastating battlefield. "None of the other contestants are moving! Is today's race going to end after Hibiki and Darrel cross the finish line?"

"Wait, someone's moving." Jason said, sitting straight up in his chair. "Cool!"

* * *

Gajeel's finger twitched as he rose back to consciousness. He fisted his hand, slowly gathering the energy to stand on his knees. The Iron Dragon Slayer coughed, his body hurt from the attack. Gajeel looked around as he gradually got to his feet. He shuffled his way to the closest person. Kagura Mikazuchi.

Kagura groaned lightly as she felt someone shake her shoulders. Opening her eyes, she spotted the intimidating figure of Gajeel. Seeing that she woke up, Gajeel moved on to the next person. Chelia Blendy. The Iron Dragon Slayer lifted her up with his arm, shaking her smaller figure slightly. Kagura watched what he did and went to someone else. Rocker of Quatro Cerberus was the next closest.

"Come on, get up." Gajeel urged. Chelia opened her eyes slowly, catching herself as Gajeel let her go to tend to the last person.

Rogue's body twitched as he came to. The Shadow Dragon Slayer peered around and saw Gajeel heading his way.

"What the hell happened?" Rogue asked.

"It was that kid." Gajeel scoffed, lending a hand to help the Sabertooth member up. "Let's go, everyone. We have a race to finish!"

The stronger members of the group helped right the magic cars back onto its wheels. Everyone got back on and attached the SE-plug to their forearm. With a nod to their opponents, the remaining participants were off.

Most of them, anyways.

* * *

"Gajeel and Rogue are stopped in their tracks!" Chapati announced. "It looks like the infamous, Dragon Slayer motion sickness is kicking in."

"It's unfortunate that they selected today to participate in the mini game." Yajima said.

"Cool! Cool!" Jason yelled. "At least they tried!"

"Hibiki Lates of Blue Pegasus is on his last lap, ladies and gentlemen!" Chapati informed. "And Darrel Callisto is on his forty-fifth lap. I'm surprised that a nine year old boy can drive."

"I am too." Yajima and Jason said together.

* * *

"Ah! I can't drive this thing!" Chelia yelled, turning too fast and skidding away from the racetrack.

The other competitors that were close by zoomed passed the Sky God Slayer as her magic car started to puff out smoke.

* * *

"Ahh!" Gajeel and Rogue yelled as they ran as fast as they could.

"I'll beat them, just watch!" Gajeel screamed, pumping his legs faster.

"Not if I get there first!" Rogue retorted trying his best keep up. The Shadow Dragon Slayer threw off his cape.

* * *

Fairy Tail sighed in disappointment and embarrassment.

"I can't believe we were just upstaged in a car race by a little boy. He isn't even legally allowed to drive these things." Max groaned.

"At least it's not me." Natsu said with a shiver.

"I'm glad they're all right, though." Wendy said in relief.

"But you can see it." Mavis whispered.

"See what, First?" Warren asked.

"The damage done to their bodies." The First Master answered softly, staring at the screen, her playful expression disappearing. "The toll it's taking just trying to finish this race."

On the screen showed the competitors still in their cars. Kagura and Rocker were slightly panting even though they were sitting. Rocker even had beads of sweat dripping down from his temple. The screen switched to show Chelia sitting on the ground against her car that was still smoking from the burnt out engine. The Sky God Slayer coughed before leaning her head back against the car door, trying valiantly to heal her own wounds.

The lacrima-tron changed once more to watch Gajeel and Rogue lay on the side of the track, their breathing harsh from both the run and the little amount of energy they had left.

* * *

"And Hibiki Lates of Blue Pegasus wins!" Chapati yelled. "That didn't come as a surprise."

"Cool!" Jason exclaimed. The reporter quickly started to scribble notes into a notepad.

"He had a large lead." Yajima agreed.

"Darrel Callisto of Zepar War is rounding off his last few laps." Chapati said as the lacrima-tron changed views once more. "It may look like Kagura Mikazuchi is catching up to him, but she is a few laps behind."

"Where did Rocker go?" Yajima asked.

The screen changed once more.

"Cool! Cool! Rocker's tires have been slashed!" Jason screamed. "Cool!"

* * *

… A Bit Later…

* * *

"Looks like we have our top three!" Chapati announced. "Coming in first and earning ten points is Blue Pegasus! In second, we have Zepar War, earning themselves six points! And finally, in third place, we have Mermaid Heel, earning four points!"

 _Fairy Tail – 14_

 _Sabertooth – 12_

 _Blue Pegasus – 10_

 _Zepar War – 6_

 _Lamia Scale – 4_

 _Mermaid Heel – 4_

 _Quatro Cerberus – 0_

"Quatro Cerberus still has no points." Yajima noticed.

"They're hanging in there." Jason said with a chuckle. "As expected from a top six guild."

"The guilds you see in front of you are the top seven guilds for this upcoming year!" Chapati announced. "The order of the guilds for fifth, sixth, and seventh place will be decided with the coming battle round. The losers of the battle round will be placed in one of those ranks based on the amount of time it took to knock them out. And remember, a tie in the battle round also counts as a loss."

"So it is possible that we will know more than fifth, sixth, and seventh place?" Yajima asked to confirm.

"Correct." Chapati replied.

"There are seven guilds, how will the battles be paired?" Jason asked next.

"Good question. The winner of today's mini game will automatically pass through the battle round. Congratulations, Blue Pegasus!" Chapati said, prompting the crowd to cheer.

"Cool! The lowest ranking Blue Pegasus can earn is fourth! Cool!" Jason yelled, taking notes in his notepad some more.

"All right, let's take a short break for the contestants to make their way back from the racetrack." Chapati announced.

* * *

"There's no rush, you should rest." Levy urged, pushing Gajeel back onto the infirmary bed.

"I'm fine, shrimp." Gajeel grunted, sitting back up and swinging his legs off of the bed. "Let's go support our guild."

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Lily asked. "You guys were knocked out for a while out there."

"The old woman did all she could on me." Gajeel said with a dissatisfied face, remembering the potion he was forced to drink. "Even she's out there, let's go."

"If you're sure." Levy sighed, helping him up.

"What match are we on?" The Iron Dragon Slayer asked as they walked down the corridor.

"I think the first match is about to end." Lily replied, flying at the slow pace his partner had set.

The three could hear the audience in the stands roaring in excitement. It seemed like the match was over.

* * *

"Amazing!" Chapati bellowed. "Sabertooth takes the win over Mermaid Heel!"

"Cool!" Jason yelled, rolling his 'L's.'

"Dobengal wins the match up against Millianna with two minutes to spare in the forty-five minute time limit." Chapati informed.

"It's exciting to see the battles with the new time limit." Yajima commented.

"That puts Mermaid Heel in a good position for ranking." Chapati said. "Remember, folks, the longer you last in the arena, the higher your ranking is if you are defeated."

"Millianna put up a good fight." Jason said with a nod.

"The next pair to face of is," Chapati paused. "Lamia Scale versus Quatro Cerberus! Send in your competitors!"

"Cool! Jura is sent out!" Jason screamed.

"I have a feeling that this will be a respectable fight." Yajima added as Quatro Cerberus' mage walked out of the gate.

"Amazing!" Chapati exclaimed. "Jura Neekis of Lamia Scale versus Bacchus Groh of Quatro Cerberus!"

"Cool! Cool! Cool!" Jason screamed once more, spinning in his chair in excitement.

* * *

"You know what this means, right?" Makarov asked, turning to his children.

"We face Zepar War." Natsu said with a smirk, pounding his fist into his palm.

"Who's up today?" Cana asked.

"I am." Gray replied, raising a hand.

"Gray-sama, are you sure?" Juvia asked in worry.

"You better kick their ass." Gajeel said, crossing his arms.

"Where's Erza?" Mira asked, looking around.

"She went to visit Millianna at the Mermaid Heel balcony." Happy answered.

Behind the wizards, Makarov looked at Mavis silently. The First Master nodded her head in confirmation.

* * *

…39 Minutes Later…

* * *

"And Bacchus Groh goes down!" Chapati yelled in excitement. "They really gave Mermaid Heel a run for their money!"

"Cool! Wizard Saint Jura comes out on top!" Jason screamed.

"As expected, but Bacchus put up an amazing fight." Yajima commented.

"With six minutes left on the clock, this puts Quatro Cerberus behind Mermaid Heel." Chapati announced. "It's time for the last battle of the day, ladies and gentlemen!"

"Cool! Everyone knows what guilds are to be fighting it out." Jason said.

"Yes, it was the most voted upon pair today." Chapati informed. "I expected this pairing after Day One following the incident during the mini game."

"I agree." Yajima said, silently looking over to the Fairy Tail balcony.

"Cool! Fairy Tail is raring to go!" Jason exclaimed, provoking everyone to look at Fairy Tail's viewing area. The guild members stood strongly in a united front, staring directly towards Zepar War's balcony.

"Everyone already knows, Fairy Tail versus Zepar War! Bring out your players!" Chapati said.

* * *

"Looks like it's time for me to go." Gray said earning encouraging slaps on the back.

"Gray," Makarov called, prompting the Ice Make mage to stop. "Have a seat."

"What?" Gray asked in confusion.

"You're not going out there, today." Mavis supplied.

"But it's my turn." Gray argued. "And I feel fine. The spell didn't do anything to me."

"We know." Makarov answered. "The spell wasn't meant to harm you."

"You know who did it?" Wendy asked, surprised.

"We found out who it was." Mavis confirmed.

"Then why can't I go out there?" The Ice Make mage questioned.

"Wait, who are you sending in, then?" Natsu asked as he checked all of their members. Only Erza was missing, but she was visiting her friend.

"It's someone we haven't seen in a long time." Mavis said with a soft smile. "Someone you wouldn't expect to be here."

"Gildarts?" Natsu suspected.

"He said he didn't want to participate." Cana replied. "Why would…?"

"Gramps?" Gray prompted.

"We're sending in our spy." Makarov answered, his eyes watering slightly.

The guild members looked at each other in confusion. Why were the Masters beginning to cry?

* * *

"Zepar War sends out Marnix Ross!" Chapati announced as he saw the large man enter the arena. "Marnix Ross is Zepar War's top S-class mage. How will Fairy Tail deal with this?"

"Who's that?" Jason asked, watching a white-cloaked figure enter the arena from the other gate.

"It's my first time seeing this person attend the Games." Chapati said, nervously flipping through his papers. "The participant from Fairy Tail was supposed to be Gray Fullbuster. It looks like he is still recovering from the first day."

The participants stood facing each other, some distance apart, in the middle of the battlefield. The wind blew, forcing the cloak to lift up from the bottom, showing slim legs clad in thigh high white boots.

"A woman?" Yajima asked.

* * *

"Master!" Erza yelled, running into the balcony.

"Erza, I thought you were visiting your friend?" Makarov asked, keeping his eyes on the people down below.

"Who is that?" Erza asked. "Are they supposed to be fighting for us?"

"Apparently it's our spy." Gray said calmly, crossing his arms.

"First and Gramps are replacing Gray." Natsu added, also keeping his eyes on the figure, his hands leaning on the half wall.

Realizing that no one was panicking, Erza also peaked around the others to watch steadily. Just who was this 'secret' spy?

* * *

The cloak around the Fairy Tail member glowed gold before disappearing, revealing long blonde hair. She wore a sleeveless, white, mini dress with a deep V-neck. The dress had a diamond cut out on her abs that was covered in white see-through mesh. On her right hip was a flap of fabric that clipped a whip to her attire.

"It's Lucy Heartfilia, Fairy Tail's missing fairy!" Chapati yelled in astonishment.

"Cool! Cool!" Jason exclaimed.

"Did she just use Re-quip magic?" Yajima asked softly.

"Who sent her in? Did Fairy Tail know?" Chapati asked, looking over towards Fairy Tail's balcony once more. "They seem as shocked as we are, folks!"

"Master Makarov is smiling." Jason noticed, smiling as well. The glum atmosphere he encountered on his last visit to Fairy Tail would likely disappear now. He was happy for them.

* * *

"Lucy." Natsu whispered, feeling his eyes fill with liquid. His body was frozen, not allowing him to wipe the silent tear that ran down his cheek.

"Sh-she…" Gray stuttered, unable to get his words out.

"Children!" Makarov called, blubbering slightly. "Watch as a Fairy Tail member acquires retribution!"

* * *

The gong reverberated around the arena.

"Tch, they send in a little girl against me?" Marnix scoffed. "You Fairies ain't so much. Pathetic really, especially in that first round." He laughed.

"You play dirty." Lucy answered, keeping her composure. "Are you so desperate for first place that you resort to cheap tricks to win a harmless game?"

"Everyone knows that you guys don't deserve it."

"And you think you do?"

"Girly, we are a thousand times stronger than you or any of these measly guilds." Marnix chortled. "Though, I am disappointed they couldn't send in, at least, a slightly worthy opponent. One of your Dragon Slayers could've put up a decent fight against me, but you? You probably should surrender before you get hurt. Unless you want to humiliate yourself like last year?"

The Celestial Spirit wizard felt her eyebrow tick.

* * *

"These guilds seem to already have bad blood between them." Chapati said, letting the competitors heated words sound through the stadium. "It comes as no surprise after the first day."

"This is a…curious match up." Yajima said slowly.

"How so?" Chapati asked.

"Marnix is eighteen years older than Lucy." Jason informed. "The experience level between these two wizards is a pretty far cry."

"Lucy isn't even an S-class mage." Yajima added, worried for his friend's guild member. "And who knows what happened to her in the year she has been away from her guild."

"The Master of Fairy Tail has put his faith in her. Let's see what surprises are in store for us." Chapati said, watching the unmoving participants carefully.

* * *

"I'm sorry to disappoint you." Lucy said, raising a hand high above her head. A black key was summoned into her hand. "Rather than a Dragon Slayer, how about just a dragon?"

"Dragon?" Marnix asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Open, Gate of the Dragon," She said calmly. The key started to glow. "Draco."

An enormous, black magic circle appeared above their heads. The circle was as large as the battlefield, covering the audience's view of the mages. A loud roar echoed from the portal. The tips of wings emerged first, flapping to begin flying. Another roar echoed around the stadium as the summoned Celestial Spirit came through its gate.

Draco, the constellation of the Dragon, appeared in front of the viewers, roaring mightily. He flew high into the air, creating harsh gusts of wind to assault his owner's opponent. Draco was covered in gleaming black scales, his glowing red eyes contrasting with his dark body color. On the top tip of his wings were sharp, diamond spears. The precious stone spikes also lining down his tail. Draco roared once more, sending fire into the air.

* * *

"D-D-Dragon!" Chapati yelled in fright, losing his announcer's composure momentarily. "H-Heartfilia has summoned a dragon onto the field!"

"If she has full control over it, we shouldn't have a problem." Yajima informed.

"Cool." Jason said in awe, gulping.

* * *

Draco spit fire at Marnix, making the elder mage dodge. The diamond spears on Draco's body glowed red. The Dragon swiftly flew down, swiping at his owner's opponent with sharp, front talons. Draco missed, however retaliated with a swing of his tail, nailing the opponent's body straight into the wall of the arena.

"What the hell is that thing?" Marnix coughed.

The Celestial Spirit roared once more, shaking the stadium. The Dragon then dragged his tail against the ground, creating large boulders to hurdle towards Marnix. Thinking quickly, the Zepar War mage held up his hands in front of him, calling out his magic. The boulders exploded just as they reached him.

"Stop hiding behind your Spirit, little girl!" Marnix yelled.

"I'm not hiding." Lucy said, standing perfectly still in the shadow Draco casted as he flew above her. "I'm fighting right beside him. Come at me, then."

Listening to his owner, Draco did nothing as the other mage ran at his owner.

* * *

"Crash magic." Cana gasped, shoving her way to the front of the crowd. The other members let her through. "Lucy! That's Crash magic! One of Gildarts' magic! Don't let him touch you!"

"When the hell did bunny girl learn that trick?" Gajeel asked, staring at the dragon soaring above the Celestial mage.

"Who cares?" Levy whispered, wiping her eyes furiously, though she was smiling. "She's back."

"You can beat him!" Cana yelled, prompting the other members to yell in encouragement, as well, when they saw Marnix get closer to their friend.

* * *

Lucy briefly looked up into the stands, hearing Cana's words. Crash magic, huh? One of the deadlier magic that Gildarts knew. She didn't have time to come up with a plan as she nimbly dodged a punch sent her way. He sent another one with his other fist, urging Lucy to take a step back and duck. Marnix kept up his physical attacks, punching here, kicking there. Lucy put her training to good use, dodging all of them easily.

She waited for the opportunity when her opponent got sloppy or too predictable. Just as Loke taught her, she used her smaller frame to dodge swiftly. Marnix pulled his arm back a little further than usual, getting frustrated. Lucy narrowed her eyes; this was her chance.

Marnix sent his large fist flying. Lucy held up her right hand. Just as his fist connected with her palm, Lucy grabbed hold of his fist, pulling her own arm backwards. Marnix stumbled forward, surprised that this slip of a girl just used his strength against him. Quickly pivoting on her feet, Lucy spun and outstretched her leg, nailing the heel of her foot against the back of Marnix's head.

The Crash Magic mage was sent sprawling forward, kicking up dirt as he slid. Draco roared once more, sending icicle spears at their opponent. The Dragon's diamonds glowed light blue. Lucy followed up her Spirit's attack with her whip, having it wrap around Marnix's upper torso. He stood on all fours, clutching the whip around him.

"This is for Gray!" Lucy yelled, allowing Draco to take the whip handle with his claws and fling Marnix to the other side easily. The whip let go of the Crash mage's body. Lucy caught the weapon as her Spirit let it fall back to the ground. In her other hand, she summoned a golden key. "Open, Gate of the Twins, Gemini!"

"Piri piri." Gemi and Mini cheered as they appeared out of a golden magic circle.

"Did it go all right today?" Lucy asked, sending Draco to stall their opponent.

"We completed our mission." Gemi replied, dancing around with Mini.

"Then you know what to do." Lucy said, smiling. The Twins nodded, hugging each other to transform. "If you don't mind, call out Ophiuchus, please." She said as she started to draw a symbol in the air.

"Open, Gate of the Snake Charmer," Yukino-Gemini said calmly. A black mist started to appear around the field, making it as dark as night. "Ophiuchus."

Draco let up his attacks, flying higher into the air to get out of the way. The Celestial Spirit of the Dragon decided to fly over the crowd, enticing fear and excitement. Marnix looked around, having a hard time seeing much.

"Are you scared of the dark?" Lucy asked, the symbol in front of her glowing as she slowly drew it.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Marnix scoffed, getting up and wiping the blood that dripped out of his mouth.

"You'll soon find out." She replied. The symbol she drew was in the shape of an 'N' with a small circle on the bottom tip. "Draconis."

"Draconis?" Marnix questioned. He suddenly looked up, the black mist getting darker. The Crash mage spotted glowing purple eyes staring straight at him from above.

Ophiuchus hissed, slowly slithering out of its gate. Its mechanical body clinked every now and again as it coiled up behind Lucy and Yukino-Gemini. Marnix slowly eyed all of his opponents. One more look at the Fairy Tail mage made Marnix shiver. Her right eye now glowed red.

* * *

"There are three Celestial Spirits on the field, ladies and gentlemen!" Chapati said. "And is it me, or does the atmosphere feel unsettling?"

"Definitely a frightening sight." Jason shivered.

"How will Marnix fair against four opponents?" Chapati asked.

"If Lucy's goal is to frighten her opponent, I believe she has done it." Yajima said, looking around at the audience. "She has done it and so much more."

"Is this the same Lucy Heartfilia from last year?" Chapati questioned excitedly.

* * *

"When did she-?" Yukino gasped, looking at the copy of herself.

"Yeah, when did you give her the chance to copy you?" Sting asked.

"Th-This morning." Yukino realized. That was why the man had an odd aura – he was a Celestial Spirit.

* * *

Lucy gave a hard stare at her opponent. She slowly lifted her arm, pointing at him. Yukino-Gemini did the same.

Ophiuchus rushed forward, mouth open wide, showing off long fangs. Marnix put up his arms, weakly defending himself. The Snake Charmer clamped its mouth down on his side, puncturing two holes into his body. Marnix screamed in pain and then surprise as he was tossed high into the air. With a grunt, the Crash mage fell back to the ground.

In a weak attempt to counterattack, Marnix placed his palms to the ground, sending his magic into the earth. Chunks of rock exploded out towards Ophiuchus, who merely slapped them away with a flick of its tail.

"Libra." Lucy said, stepping forward.

"Open, Gate of the Balance, Libra." Yukino-Gemini chanted, holding the key beside her.

"Scared yet?" Lucy asked, standing just a few feet away from him. "You know what's the kicker?"

"What, you bitch?" Marnix hissed, spitting blood out of his mouth, his side throbbing angrily.

"I'm one of the weaker ones in my guild." Lucy replied, pointing upwards. The Crash mage gasped as he was lifted into the air. Gravity had changed. "You shouldn't have messed with us. We always retaliate 100 fold of what was done."

"M-Monster." Marnix growled, struggling midair as he stared into her red eye. He couldn't use his magic if there was nothing to use it on.

"Congratulations, you've met Fairy Tail." Lucy giggled, stepping a few feet back to get a good look at him. "Now, let's have a chat."

"What the hell are you talking about?" He hissed, feeling the snake curl around his body, hissing in his ear. In his peripheral vision, he saw the dragon circling him.

"You wanted to fight against one of our, top notch, Dragon Slayers." Lucy began, linking her fingers together and stretching her arms forward in a relaxed manner. "Though if you're having a hard time with me, I don't think you'll last very long against them. So, which one would you prefer to battle?" Marnix stayed silent, not playing into her game. "You only have four choices, you know. Sky Sorceress, Wendy Marvell. Black Steel, Gajeel Redfox. Thunder God Leader, Laxus Dreyar. Or Salamander, Natsu Dragneel."

He stayed silent.

Draco roared once more, sending fire just under the floating Marnix.

"Now look what you've done. You've gone and angered Draco." Yukino-Gemini sighed. "You should have answer."

Marnix stayed quiet, looking around to find something that could be affected by his magic. He sent his hand back, touching the scaly, mechanical figure of Ophiuchus.

"Close it." Lucy commanded. Before the Crash mage could send his magic into the Celestial Spirit, Ophiuchus disappeared. Instantly, the daylight returned. "All right, then I'll choose for you." The Celestial mage said, putting her arms up and making a triangle with her thumbs and pointer finger.

"Choose?" He questioned, straining to get free. Libra concentrated, shifting her body slightly.

"Salamander." Lucy replied, her glowing red eye brightening up. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" A sphere of fire appeared in the middle of the triangle before blasting forward. The sound of Natsu's magic echoed in the stadium before the hit landed square on Marnix's body. The elder mage screamed in pain. He didn't utter a sound as gravity went back to normal and his body fell to the ground.


	23. Bad Blood

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

 **A/N: Anyone else having Traffic Stats problem on FF?**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three: Bad Blood

* * *

"Lucy Heartfilia has done it!" Chapati Lola screamed. "Without an ounce of damage, she has taken out Zepar War's strongest S-class mage in twenty minutes!"

"Cool!" Jason yelled, elongating the word and rolling his L's.

"Nice going, Fairy Tail." Yajima commended.

"This puts Zepar War in seventh place, Quatro Cerberus in sixth, and Mermaid Heel in fifth." Chapati announced. The announcer paused as he saw people start to pour into the arena. "Fairy Tail is rushing onto the field!"

* * *

"Good job, everyone." Lucy praised, rubbing Draco's tail. "Libra, thanks for your help. Give my gratitude to Ophiuchus, will you?"

"Of course." Libra replied, closing her gate. Gemini reversed their transformation and floated into Lucy's arms.

"Piri piri, you have company," Gemi said.

"We'll be leaving now," Mini voiced next before the twins disappeared. Draco roared once more, closing his gate as well. The Celestial mage looked up to see her guild mates jump out of the balcony and run towards her.

"There are stairs you kno-" Lucy started to say but was tackled into a hug, knocking the air out of her.

"Lucy!" Happy cried, burying his head into her chest.

Cries of her name echoed through the crowd of mages, each taking a turn to pull her body towards them in an embrace. Lucy saw the tears in their eyes and started tearing up herself. She sure missed these goofballs.

"Elfman!" Lucy gasped as she was lifted onto his shoulder. It was then that she realized that the whole stadium was watching them.

"To the bar!" Master Makarov announced, leading the group out of the arena. Lucy giggled, looking down at her family. Natsu, her best friend, was staring up at her with a look she couldn't quite understand. He realized she was gazing back and grinned.

Lucy felt like she was on a float in a parade as they walked out of the coliseum. She sat on a very tall man's shoulder and had the Exceeds floating on each side and behind her. There was a crowd outside, as well, who were watching the large lacrima-tron on the wall of the stadium. The Fairy Tail members were cheering and yelling as they continued to walk down the road.

* * *

"Clearly, Fairy Tail is not staying for the announcements." Chapati said in good-humor. "For the last time, today, let's put the rankings and scores up on the screen!"

 _Fairy Tail – 14_

 _Sabertooth – 12_

 _Blue Pegasus – 10_

 _Lamia Scale – 4_

…

 _5th – Mermaid Heel_

 _6th_ _– Quatro Cerberus_

 _7th – Zepar War_

"It sounds like a celebration outside." Yajima commented. Apparently, Fairy Tail had exited the building.

"Cool! Cool!" Jason yelled, getting his lacrima camera and notepad ready to report on Fairy Tail's party.

"That concludes Day Three, ladies and gentlemen!" Chapati announced. "Congratulations to the guilds that have made it through so far! We'll see you tomorrow!"

* * *

"Drinks for everyone!" Makarov yelled, lifting up a glass of ale high into the air.

"To Lucy!" The members cheered. The Celestial mage laughed happily, accepting the glass that Natsu handed her.

"To Fairy Tail!" Lucy replied, holding up her drink. "Ooff," She gasped as she was lifted off the ground slightly and spun around slowly.

"Hey, you." Gray greeted, putting her back on the ground.

"Hi," Lucy replied, smiling brightly. She put the drink on a table and took Gray's head in her hands, turning him so she could see the side. "How's your head? Do you have any problems with the spell? Side-effects?"

"It was you?" Natsu asked, eyes widening.

"Master and First didn't tell you?" Lucy asked, also surprised.

"They didn't mention anything about who healed Gray-san." Wendy informed.

"Oh, well, yeah, surprise." Lucy replied, giggling.

"And you're also our spy?" Erza asked, placing an arm around the Celestial mage's shoulders.

"That's what the Masters called me when we saw each other." Lucy said with a shrug.

"Well, spy, I'm glad to have you back." Gray said, taking her wrists and pulling her hands down. "My head is fine."

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked worriedly. "I couldn't complete it, but the spell should've been fine on its own."

"Yeah, where did you go?" Gray accused. Lucy sighed, launching into the story about Gemini. The entire guild was hanging onto every word their Celestial wizard was saying.

"So it was Gray's fault?" Alzack laughed.

"Hey! I was surprised, too!" The Ice Make mage defended.

"Well, your surprise almost landed me in a fiery pit! Because we teleported so fast, we almost fell off the statue in the stadium, and let me tell you, I never thought I'd be so close to hell so soon." Lucy joked, jabbing Natsu lightly on the shoulder.

"That's not my fault!" Natsu pouted.

Lucy continued to laugh with her guild mates as she picked up the drink once more, turning to the Fire Dragon Slayer, "Thanks for this."

"No problem." Natsu replied with a grin. Lucy noticed that he was close enough to rub arms with her, but didn't comment on the contact.

"So, Lucy, we're really dying here." Mirajane said from the bar counter. The other guild members nodded.

"What do you mean?" The Celestial Spirit mage asked curiously.

"We've literally searched the whole country for you and only found a trace just a little while ago." Happy whined, flying to land on Lucy's head.

"You searched the whole country?" The blonde gasped.

"Of course, bunny girl, who do you think we are?" Gajeel grumbled.

"So?" Mira urged.

"Mmm, where do I begin?" Lucy asked, laughing slightly.

"And it sure doesn't look like you were held hostage." Cana said, checking out the Celestial mage out up and down.

"No, I suppose I wasn't _really_ a hostage." Lucy giggled. "I was kidnapped though."

"What?" Natsu yelled, turning sharp eyes to her. The Celestial mage waved off his concern.

"I was kidnapped by Loke." The blonde replied.

"What?!" The rest of the guild yelled. Lucy flinched slightly.

"Well see… He came out of his gate by himself, again, and just poof, we were in the Celestial Spirit World." She said dramatically.

"What were you doing there?" Mira asked gently.

"Learning some new spells," Lucy said with a grin, making her fingers glow yellow.

"And that dragon!" Happy exclaimed.

"Yep, and getting some new keys." Lucy laughed.

"How many did you get?" Lisanna asked curiously.

"Ten." Lucy said, re-quipping one to her hand. "Eleven if you count the one I bought in the Crocus magic store."

"You just used Re-quip." Erza said in shock.

"Is it any good?" Lucy asked. "I've been trying to perfect it, but it's kind of hard."

"It was fast, you're doing great." Bisca encouraged. Asuka hopped away from her parents and tugged at Lucy's boots. The Celestial mage put down her drink and lifted up the toddler into her arms.

"Hello," Lucy cooed, kissing the little girl on the cheek.

"Hello." Asuka answered. "We missed you."

"I missed you guys, too." Lucy replied, sending the key back into her inventory. "Let's talk more about this when we get home." The rest of the members agreed. It was easier to get eavesdropped on here in Crocus than it was at their personal guildhall.

"What are we waiting for?" Mavis giggled, throwing her arms up. "Let's party!"

The bar erupted into cheers and clanking of drinks as the guild members expressed their relief. Lucy seemed to flit about, greeting and catching up with various members. Natsu stayed where she left him, staring after her longingly. He was her best friend, he'd get her attention, eventually – he hoped.

"Lucy-sama!" Yukino exclaimed as she and the rest of Sabertooth opened the door.

"Yukino!" Lucy replied, going over to the other Celestial mage and giving her a hug.

Maybe he'd have to wait a little longer. Besides, she seemed happy.

* * *

"You saw the Grand Magic Games, didn't you?"

"Looks like the little Fairy Tail Celestial wizard is back."

"What should we do, sir?"

"Although I was hoping some dark guild had gotten to her, I knew this would happen."

"Master?"

"It looks like the King has made his move." The Master said with a grin. "We'll continue making ours."

* * *

The rest of the day flew by for the wizards. The guests in Bar Sun had reached capacity and Fairy Tail decided to move the party outside. All ally guilds came to celebrate Lucy's return, making it six guilds in total that were crowding the streets.

The streetlights illuminated the party below. The streets of Crocus were filled with incessant chatter and cheers. Cana and the boys from Quatro Cerberus were having a drinking contest. Natsu and Gajeel were having a stare off against Rogue and Sting. And Erza was with the Mermaid Heel girls. Everything seemed to be going well.

Lucy, who was getting compliments from the Trimens, suddenly turned as she felt magic coming her way. A fiery blast was heading towards the Celestial mage at rapid speed.

"Roar!" Natsu yelled, sending his own fire to block it. The magic collided; creating a large fireball that began to explode. Heat blasted over everyone's head, the sound stopping all conversations.

Loud growling was heard as the fire started to disappear. Five large Caucasian Shepard Dogs stood in front of Lucy, protectively guarding the blonde. The brown and black furred dogs stared angrily at the attacker with glowing yellow eyes. Their big manes ruffled as they barked and charged towards their opponent.

"Who the hell are you?" Gray asked, crossing his arms.

"Ow!" A female yelled. Two dogs bit at her forearms, another two bit her calves, making her fall to the ground. The final animal came up behind her and took a hold of the junction between her neck and her shoulder.

"You're that Zepar War chick." Sting commented with a raised eyebrow.

"What business do you have for attacking us?" Makarov asked, his aura flaring out menacingly.

"That bitch," Shifra Favero said, jerking forward. The dogs growled louder, tightening their jaws. "Ah!"

"I wouldn't try moving if I were you." Lucy commented uncharacteristically coldly. "As the myths say, they hunt bears for a living. And just a little more pressure, your jugular is going to pop."

"Why you," Shifra growled.

"What do you want with Lucy?" Natsu asked, stepping forward to block Shifra's view of the blonde.

"The antidote." The Zepar War mage hissed.

"Is that any way to ask for help?" Hibiki asked rhetorically. "How uncouth of you."

"Antidote?" Lucy wondered softly.

"Marnix isn't going to survive the poison your _snake_ injected." Shifra clarified, a scowl still on her face.

"Didn't Lucy tell you on the field that that was our retaliation?" Cana asked with a scoff. "Why should we help you?"

"This is too far!" Shifra yelled.

"You went too far." Erza cut in calmly. "If our member had died, you can be sure that your guild wouldn't have existed any longer."

"So you're just going to let him suffer?" Shifra asked. Her blood started to pool onto the ground.

"You nearly kill me and now you're demanding an antidote from us?" Gray scoffed. "Save the pity party for someone else."

"Just give me the antidote and I won't bother you again." The Fire mage said softly, looking to the ground.

"Lucy, Yukino?" Makarov called. The two Celestial mages stepped forward, going around the barrier the others created with their bodies. "We can be the better person, can't we?"

The two Celestial mages looked at each other.

"As much as we would love to, Master." Lucy began saying.

"There is no 'antidote.'" Yukino finished. "Ophiuchus does not use poison magic."

"Then what the hell is it?" Shifra asked.

"Dark Magic." Lucy said, looking up to the stars.

"It is also known as Fear Magic." Yukino added. "In an unconscious state, the person would experience their fears over and over again."

"And let me guess, he has to overcome the fear to wake up?" Shifra scoffed, sending a glare to the blonde one.

"No." Lucy answered. "Because there is no way to overcome it."

"What do you mean?" Kagura asked. She had once faced Ophiuchus in battle, but the Celestial Spirit couldn't take a bite out of her.

"The effected won't have control over his dream self. He's stuck in an endless cycle. His mind is showing him everything that he has ever feared." Yukino informed.

"How do you stop it?" Makarov asked.

"The magic can run its course and disappear," Yukino replied.

"Or he can die in his dreams, thus dying all together." Lucy said with a shrug.

"You bitch!" Shifra yelled, lunging forward. The growls from the dogs grew louder as they clamped their jaws tighter. "I'll kill you!"

"Ophiuchus is the strongest Celestial Spirit for a reason." Lucy said, turning to her white haired friend and giving her a smirk. "There is another way to counter it, isn't there, Yukino?"

"Certainly, Lucy-sama." Yukino answered.

"Well?" Shifra asked.

"She's not being very nice about it." Natsu scoffed, protectively staying close to the blonde.

"How would you cure this 'darkness?'" Makarov asked.

"Wendy or Chelia can probably do it with Sky magic." Lucy answered with a shrug. "Porlyusica-san can do so, as well. But more importantly, Yukino can cure it."

"Yukino?" Rogue questioned.

"I own the key, thus I own the cure." Yukino replied, holding up the golden key with a black snake wrapped around it.

"Then help us." Shifra said in a small voice.

"As if we'd let her go by herself." Sting scoffed.

"Especially when you alienated our ally guild." Kagura said seriously, stepping forward.

"Fine, take as many stupid body guards as you want." Shifra sighed, her limbs aching from the bites. "Just hurry."

"We're definitely going." Sting said, gesturing to himself and the Shadow Dragon Slayer.

"Canes Venatici, release her." Lucy called. The dogs let go of their hostage, licking their chops clean of blood. The blonde Celestial mage patted her Spirits on the head, thanking them for protecting her. "Let's go, too."

"You're going?" Natsu asked.

"Paying our enemies a visit." Lucy replied, winking. "They should know the rules. No fighting outside of the stadium."

"They are out of the Games." Gray chuckled, cracking his knuckles. "Count me in."

Shifra bit her lip, holding her arms tightly to stop the bleeding.

"As if I'd let you pass me up." Natsu said with a grin.

"Brats." Master Makarov called, Mavis standing next to him – though only the Fairy Tail members knew that. "Be careful."

"You got it." Lucy reassured.

"Erza, maybe you should go with them?" Mira suggested.

"Good idea." The Re-quip mage said with a smirk.

"I don't think they're coming with us as guards." Rogue whispered to his group.

"You know how Fairy Tail is." Sting chuckled. "Natsu-san! Whoever get's first punch on their Master wins!"

"You're on!" The Fire Dragon Slayer yelled.

"As if seven of you can take down an entire guild." Shifra muttered under her breath.

* * *

"What's taking Shifra so long?" Gunnar asked, wiping the sweat from Marnix's forehead. "He's getting worse."

"It's too bad we don't have a healer like Fairy Tail." Darrel whispered, folding his arms on the infirmary bed and putting his head down on them.

"If Marnix doesn't survive, it's his own damn fault."

"Master." Gunnar said softly, stunned.

"He shouldn't have lost to those worthless Fairies." The Master scoffed, going towards the door.

Gunnar and Darrel looked at each other silently before turning to the other guild members in the room. There was a crash outside the infirmary and a pained grunt. Suddenly, the door burst into flames, exploding open.

"What the hell?" Gunnar growled, blocking his face with his arms.

"Ice Make: Lance!"

The Rock mage gasped as his body was hit and iced to the wall. Other Zepar War mages began to attack the enemy charging in through the door. A blast of fire stopped everyone in their tracks, igniting various items in the room ablaze.

"This wasn't part of the deal!" Shifra yelled, barging into the room.

"What happened to you?" Darrel asked, putting his arms over his head to protect it.

"Good thing we never made a deal." Gray chuckled, standing directly in front of Gunnar. "Hello again."

"You." Gunnar growled, trying to remove his hands from the ice.

"Good, you remember me." Gray replied, sending another icy attack towards the Rock mage.

"Stop, what are you doing?" Shifra yelled, leaning against the wall for support.

"My, they are reckless," Yukino gasped softly.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Sting laughed.

"You thought you could get away with targeting us, oh?" Erza asked, pointing a sword at Zepar War's guild master's neck.

"Over kill." Rogue sighed, seeing other swords circle around the pair.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu yelled, prompting other Zepar War mages to duck and cover, as their infirmary was set ablaze.

"There's no reason to set all of Domus Flau up in flames." Lucy reminded, unbuckling her whip. The five Spirits of the Hunting Dogs, Canes Venatici, growled besides her, brandishing their sharp fangs to anyone who got too close.

"Are you okay?" Darrel asked innocently to Shifra as he crawled to the doorway. He had been spared from the wrath of the Fairy Tail wizards thus far. Shifra fell to her knees; her legs weakened from the bite wounds.

"Damn it." Shifra hissed. "I didn't think they'd…"

"They're really strong, don't you think?" Darrel asked, watching three Fairy Tail mages create chaos. "Our guild members can't even touch them."

"Yeah." Shifra sighed. The fire licked at the unconscious S-Class mage, Marnix Ross. "Let's get Marnix out of here."

"Man, Lucy really did do a number on him." Sting whistled, walking into the room with his guild members.

"Wh-What's the Master of Sabertooth doing here?" Darrel asked nervously.

"Body guards." Shifra scoffed.

"Ophiuchus," Yukino whispered.

"What about it?" Rogue asked.

"It acts differently with Lucy than when I call it out." Yukino replied, stepping up to the bedside. She saw the fang wounds leak out a menacing black aura.

"Probably 'cause she's not its owner." Sting said with a shrug, not bothered by the battle the Fairies were having with Zepar War in the background.

"Maybe." Yukino mumbled.

"Let's hurry this along so we can get out of their way." Rogue suggested. The wall crumbled as two bodies tumbled inside the blazing infirmary.

"Say that again," Erza dared her opponent. She had re-quipped into her Armadura Fairy armor, holding two swords at the prone man's neck beneath her.

"Master." Shifra and Darrel gasped, Shifra covering the younger mage from falling debris.

"Fairy Tail is weak." Zepar War's Master hissed.

"Look around you." Erza said seriously. "Your entire guild can't even begin to put up a decent fight against three of our wizards. But that's not what makes you weak. What makes you weak is the fact that you resort to dirty tricks. That you force your members to do your bidding."

"This is what will get us to the top." The Master replied.

"We'll stop you, each and every time." Erza said calmly, taking her swords away and kicking the man into a group of mages struggling with Canes Venatici.

"Nice shot, Erza." Lucy complimented. "I think we're just about done here."

"Man, I was hoping for a better fight." Natsu complained, slinging an arm around Lucy's shoulder.

"Agreed." Gray sighed, releasing the ice that pinned Gunnar to the wall. The Rock mage slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Yukino, are you finished over there?" Lucy called.

"Just about, Lucy-sama." Yukino replied, holding Ophiuchus' key above the bite mark on Marnix. The black aura was being absorbed by the key; sending it back to the Spirit of the Snake Charmer. "There,"

"Let's get back to that party!" Sting exclaimed.

Darrel and Shifra looked at each other. The young boy got into motion once the other guilds left. He went into the hallway and grabbed a fire extinguisher, clumsily holding it in his arms. Shifra shakily stood up and took it from him gently, ordering him to make sure some of their closer members were all right.

Lucy Heartfilia beat their strongest mage in twenty minutes without a scratch on her. And the Fairy girl had the gull to say she was one of the weaker ones in the guild? If that were true…

The Fire mage sighed in defeat. Fairy Tail was a guild their Master had no business messing with.

* * *

"We're back!" Natsu yelled as the group approached Bar Sun.

"How did it go?" Mirajane asked pleasantly.

"Piece of cake." Gray replied with a smirk.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they postponed the Games tomorrow." Yukino sighed.

"We could see the smoke from here." Rufus informed.

"So it went well?" Makarov asked. Though everyone knew what they did was against Council laws.

"Zepar War will think twice before attacking us again." Erza replied. The Master of Fairy Tail gave the group a thankful nod.

"By the way, Lucy." Cana started to say, catching the blonde Celestial mage's attention. "Who are those hot men following you?"

"Hm?" Lucy hummed in confusion, turning around. "Oh, they're Canes Venatici. They transformed from the dogs earlier."

"Milady, you're not injured are you?" The man with a long ponytail asked, taking Lucy's hand in his.

"They take tall, dark, and handsome to the next level." Mira giggled softly to the Card mage.

"They're copying my style." Ren complained, running a hand through his hair. The Canes Venatici men were dark skinned, similar to the Blue Pegasus wizard. They were also wearing a dress shirt and black dress pants, much like the Trimens.

"No, I'm okay, Alpha. Thanks for your help. I'm sorry for giving you so much work the past few days." Lucy said sheepishly.

Natsu huffed, crossing his arms. He looked at the men with narrowed eyes, especially the one holding Lucy's hand. The dark skinned male thought he was so cool with his long, black hair and white dress shirt. The other four were starting to crowd around the Celestial mage, checking her over for injuries.

"It's our pleasure, milady." Beta, the one with short, choppy hair and a purple dress shirt, reassured.

"These were the men we met the other night." Makarov said in realization.

"Yeah. They're on guard duty again." Lucy confirmed.

"Guard duty?" Natsu asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They come through their gate on their own to make sure I'm all right. We can talk about it later." Lucy waved off. "Why don't you guys stay and celebrate with us?"

"If you insist, milady." Gamma, the one with a close shaved haircut and a red dress shirt, replied with a slight bow.

"Thank you, Lucy." Cana said with a laugh as she slung her arms over the other two, Delta and Epsilon. "What are your names?"

"Delta." The man with medium length hair similar to Gray said. This one had a green dress shirt neatly tucked into his pants.

"You can call me Epsilon, miss." The Spirit with the short rat tail hair and black dress shirt introduced.

"Drop the polite attitude! Do you drink?" Cana exclaimed dragging the two to the table she previously occupied with Quatro Cerberus.

"This isn't going to end well." Lucy sighed, pulling her hand away from Alpha.

"They're awfully similar to the Trimens." Mira giggled.

"Less stifling, though." Erza agreed.

"No, Juvia, I don't want to drink you!" Gray yelled with a fierce blush.

"But Gray-sama!" Juvia cried, half of her body liquefied onto the ground.

"Where are Happy and the other Exceeds?" Lucy questioned.

"Who knows?" Natsu replied with a shrug.

* * *

"Should we really be doing this?" Charle sighed, standing behind the two male Exceeds.

"Shh, Charle." Happy scolded in a hushed voice. His paws hung onto the ledge of a roof as the blue Exceed peered over the edge.

"Hmph," Charle huffed, crossing her arms.

Pantherlily, who was next to Happy also peering over the edge of the roof, paid close attention to the people below. His long tail swished slightly from the tip.

"Why'd you drag me all the way out here, Gajeel?"

"You haven't stopped crying yet, shrimp." Gajeel grunted, crossing his arms.

"So?" Levy asked with a huff.

"What are you crying for, now?" Gajeel sighed.

"Nothing." Levy replied with a small sniffle.

"Bunny girl is back and that's all that should matter, right?"

"I know that! It's just…"

"Just what?" Gajeel urged.

"She has contracts with such hot men!" Levy cried loudly, unnecessarily bawling up to the sky.

"What?!" The Iron Dragon Slayer yelled in disbelief. The littler mage busted out laughing, holding her stomach.

"Oh man, you should have seen the look on your face!"

"Shrimp!" Gajeel scolded, turning intimidating red eyes to her.

The Solid Script mage couldn't contain her laughter as she fell to her knees.

"Oh, man, I can't breath." Levy panted, putting one hand to the ground while the other held her abdomen. Gajeel grumbled, turning away from her with narrowed eyes.

"Are you done?" He scowled.

"I'm good." Levy sighed out, standing back up. "You brought me all the way out here just to ask what was wrong?"

Uncharacteristically, the Iron Dragon Slayer started to blush.

"I didn't want the others to get the wrong idea, since I was the closest to you." Gajeel defended weakly.

"Right," Levy drawled out. The conversation between them paused. "It was like a dream."

"What?"

"Today." She clarified. "Lucy was back and of course I cried out of joy. And then she went with Natsu and the others to Zepar War and I just had the thought that maybe it was a dream. Maybe I was just imagining her. But then they came back… and I just cried again, out of relief."

"That's pretty dumb for a bookworm like you."

Levy let out a short laugh, "I guess you're right."

* * *

"Where are you staying, Lucy?" Mira asked worriedly. The other guilds had slowly retired for the evening, leaving Fairy Tail alone.

"I have a hotel room just outside of Crocus. I've been staying there for the past few days." Lucy replied. "It's not too far."

"You should come with us." Erza commented. "We don't want you walking by yourself."

"I'm not by myself." Lucy said, looking towards her Spirits. Although a couple of them wobbled where they stood, the other three were still standing strong after taking shots of alcohol. "We'll, probably, be fine."

"Just come with us." Natsu whined, pulling Lucy's wrist lightly in the direction of their inn.

"My stuff is in the other hotel, Natsu." The Celestial mage reminded. "Besides, I've been walking around in the dead of night for a few days, I'll be fine for one more, especially with Canes Venatici here."

"Then check out tomorrow morning and come join us." Mira relented. "I think everyone would feel better if we were together."

A chorus of agreements echoed through the Fairy Tail mages.

"Sure." Lucy agreed, smiling brightly at her family members. "I'll see you guys tomorrow morning."

"I'm playing the game tomorrow." Natsu said eagerly. "You better be there in time to watch."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." The blonde giggled, waving her hand. "Good night!"

"You want some of us to walk with you?" Gray asked before she walked away too far.

"I don't want you walking back alone." Lucy replied, walking backwards. "I promise to be careful."

"Stay safe!" Makarov called. "You know what'll happen if you don't."

"I got it, Master!" Lucy replied, waving once more.

* * *

…One Hour Later… 2AM…

* * *

"Natsu sure does go overboard." Lucy sighed; smelling her wet hair to make sure it didn't smell like burnt wood any longer. Once she was satisfied that it smelled like shampoo, the Celestial mage gently rubbed the towel against her hair to dry it. Already in her sleeping attire, she sat down on the bed, reading a book she had set out earlier.

Eerily, there was a knock on her door. Lucy looked up in confusion, debating if she should pretend to be asleep.

"Lucy?" A voice whimpered from outside.

"Who is it?" Lucy questioned, getting up slowly. She draped the towel around her shoulders and summoned a golden key to her hand. The Celestial mage peeked through the peephole. "Lisanna?"

"Can I come in?" The Take-Over mage asked softly. Lucy quickly unlatched the lock and opened the door.

"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked, urging the girl inside. "Did you come here by yourself?!"

"I…"

"You shouldn't walk outside alone during this hour." Lucy said frantically. "I don't care if you're a capable mage, you're much safer in a group."

"Sorry." Lisanna whispered.

"How'd you find me here, anyways?"

"Animals have a good sense of smell."

"Oh, right." Lucy replied, feeling dumb. "What are you doing here?" The Take-Over mage started to tear up, flinging herself into Lucy's body. "Wha-what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry!"

"What are you talking about, Lisanna?" Lucy asked in confusion, putting her arms around the girl.

"You don't hate me, right?" The white haired girl sniveled.

"I, honestly, have no idea what you're talking about."

"You didn't leave because I took your spot on Natsu's team, right?"

"Who made you think that?" Lucy asked in surprise. "I told you, Loke kidnapped me, and besides, I could never hold a grudge against you for something like that."

"Really?" Lisanna asked hopefully, turning her watery eyes to stare at the blonde.

"Of course." Lucy replied. "You weren't holding that guilt inside of you this the whole time, were you?" The Take-Over mage didn't answer. "Lisanna!"

"I couldn't help it!" Lisanna cried. "I went on that mission and then you were gone!"

"I'm sorry." Lucy sighed, bringing the girl in for another hug. "Are you tired? I'm not letting you walk back to your hotel." She felt the Take-Over mage nod. "You can borrow some of my clothes, come on." Lucy led the girl to the bed. "Why am I acting like your mother? We're the same age."

"Sorry." Lisanna giggled, accepting the sleeping wear that the Celestial mage handed her. "You know, everyone was worried about you coming here by yourself."

"And, like I told you, I wasn't by myself, unlike one girl I know." Lucy replied, giving a pointed stare at her guest.

"Especially Natsu." Lisanna continued, ignoring the jab.

"He worries about everyone." Lucy replied, oblivious to the Take-Over mage's hint.

"You know, it was his idea to put your initials here." Lisanna informed, holding up her right hand.

"Oh?" Lucy asked. "That was sweet of him, and you guys for actually doing it."

"He really missed you." Lisanna drawled out.

"What are you getting at?" The Celestial mage asked.

"Oh nothing." Lisanna giggled. "I'll just get changed."

"Does Mira or Elfman know you're here?"

"No…"

"We are in so much trouble tomorrow." Lucy said in dismay.


	24. Amusement Park Thrills

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Four: Amusement Park Thrills

* * *

"Welcome to Day Four of the Grand Magic Games!" Chapati Lola yelled. "I hope you're enjoying your time here, because we're just about winding down to the final day! Today, we, once again, have Yajima-san with us."

"Good morning." Yajima greeted.

"And our special guest is Sabertooth's new Guild Master. Please welcome, Sting Eucliffe!" Chapati introduced.

"Hello," Sting drawled out.

"Sting-san, how does it feel to become the Master of your guild?" Chapati asked.

"It has definitely been crazy, but also fun." Sting laughed, remembering that his first order of business as the Master was to get a pool installed.

"And how well do you predict Sabertooth to do in terms of ranking this year?" Chapati questioned next.

"Well," Sting scoffed lightly. "Fairy Tail will be hard to beat, especially since they're all back together." The White Dragon Slayer laughed. "But we'll probably be first or second, no doubt."

"Very confident." Chapati said, turning to look towards the arena. "Without further ado, guilds, send out your players!"

* * *

"Where's Lucy?" Natsu asked. He hadn't seen the blonde all morning.

"She's not here yet." Wendy replied.

"Has anyone seen Lisanna?" Mira asked worriedly. "I thought she woke up early today and went out for a walk or something, but I can't find her anywhere."

"Natsu, you have to go." Erza said, noticing that they were the last guild to send someone out to the field. "I'm sure Lucy will show up soon. For now, let's split up to find Lisanna."

"Shouldn't I help?" Natsu asked as Gray was pushing him out.

"Get your ass down there before we get disqualified. The rest of us can handle this." The Ice Make mage said. The Fire Dragon Slayer grumbled but quickly made his way downstairs.

"When was the last time you saw Lisanna?" Makarov asked the remaining Take-Over siblings.

"Last night, when we went to bed." Elfman replied, tears in his eyes.

"I was hoping she got here before we did." Mira whispered, worriedly biting her lip.

"Lucy did say my… Ivan was targeting us again." Laxus reminded.

"You believe he took her?" Mavis asked.

"I'm not saying he did, but it's a possibility." The Lightning Dragon Slayer said with a shrug.

"Some of you should go out to the city in groups, see if you can find either Lisanna or Lucy." Makarov ordered. "Dragon Slayers, see if you can catch a scent."

* * *

"Today's mini game is called…" Chapati started to announce. "Canine Conundrum! Competitors are to look for puppies hidden in the arena." A round of 'awws' and coos were heard from the audience. "It is possible to just happen upon the cute puppy, however, there will also be various slips of paper around the arena that will tell you the exact location of the canine."

Down in the arena with the wizards, Mato snapped his fingers. Another magically made set was starting to build up inside of the battlefield.

Sting busted out laughing, holding his stomach while hitting his fist onto the table.

"This is unfortunate for Fairy Tail." Yajima commented, hiding a chuckle. "Again."

"Natsu-san," The White Dragon Slayer wheezed out. "Man, I would hate to be in your shoes, right now."

"You heard the judges, folks. Will Fairy Tail lose today's game?" Chapati asked the audience. "Looking at their score, a loss does not look like it would diminish their chances at an overall win."

 _Fairy Tail – 14_

 _Sabertooth – 12_

 _Blue Pegasus – 10_

 _Lamia Scale – 4_

"I doubt it would hurt them." Sting said, leaning back in his chair comfortably, crossing his arms. "But leave it to Natsu-san to get at least third."

"Lamia Scale has to either win the battle round or place, at least, second during the mini game, if they want to participate on Day Five." Yajima thought out loud.

"All right, are the contestants ready?" Chapati asked. "Go into the amusement park!"

* * *

"I can't believe they made an amusement park." Natsu grumbled, his face turning slightly green.

The Fire Dragon Slayer was reluctant to follow the other wizards into the 'arena.' Roller coaster tracks soared high into the air; the carts sped its way from start to finish with no one inside. Other rides lit up obnoxiously, some even going up and down or spinning and tilting. Natsu's stomach protested the sight.

"Um, 'kin, you have to go through the doors now." Mato said, holding the door open.

"Fine." Natsu huffed. He took a glance towards his guild's balcony. Lucy promised she wouldn't miss watching him in the arena for the world. Where was she? And was Lisanna all right?

Two people appeared at the balcony, one with bags on her arms and the other carrying drinks inside of a cardboard drink carrier.

* * *

"Sorry we're late." Lisanna apologized just as she and Lucy entered through the balcony doorway.

"Whoa, are we going to war or something?" Lucy asked, seeing the serious faces of her guild mates and the groups forming between them.

"Where have you been?" Mira asked, sending narrowed eyes to her sister.

"Sorry, Mira-nee." Lisanna said sheepishly.

"Yeah, we apologize." Lucy said next. "We went to get breakfast and some food for everyone, but the time got away from us." The Celestial mage happily handed over the containers of hot drinks to Levy and Cana.

"You two were together?" Happy thought out loud. "I mean, not that it's weird… Okay, well, it's weird. You never go out, just the two of you."

"And what is wrong with that, cat?" Lucy asked, putting her hands on her hips. "We're friends."

"Yeah, Happy, what's so weird about it?" Lisanna asked, giggling slightly. So she agreed a little, she and Lucy hardly hung out one-on-one.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't have been just the two of us if Lisanna didn't sneak- oomf!" Lucy started to say but was cut off when the Take-Over: Animal Soul mage shoved the bags of food towards Elfman, held her in a headlock, and placed a hand over her mouth.

"Sneak in a morning walk!" Lisanna yelled extremely cheerfully. "Yeah! I woke up early and thought it was a nice morning."

"You should be careful, Lisanna." Mirajane scolded. "You know Ivan is after us."

"Sorry." Lisanna sheepishly apologized once more, loosening her arms just enough for Lucy to escape.

The Celestial mage shook her head. She guessed even the youngest sibling couldn't get away from the angry She-Devil when someone did something wrong. Lucy saw Natsu looking their way and waved.

"Good luck!" Lucy yelled, cupping her hands to her mouth, in hopes that he could hear her through the cheers. Good, she wasn't too late to send him off. The Celestial Spirit mage took note of the playing field. A un-lady-like scoff escaped from her lips. "We're going to lose."

"Yep." Gajeel agreed, drinking one of the hot coffees Lucy had brought.

* * *

Pieces of metal fell to the ground with a crash. The roller coaster cart tumbled down to Earth Land, dismantling as it rolled about. Other pieces of the roller coaster track fell on top of food stands and gift shops, creating large dust clouds.

"And Orga Nanagear of Sabertooth destroys the rollercoaster!" Chapati announced. "The clue at the top of the ride has tumbled down, let's see if he can find it!"

"Damn, man, it would have been easier just to ride the thing." Sting complained.

"I hope a puppy wasn't hidden anywhere near there." Yajima sighed.

* * *

Natsu stared forlornly at the ride in front of him. Not only did the ride go up into the air, it also rotated around and tilted from one side to the other. The Fire Dragon Slayer gagged. There has to be a hint inside of this ride. Why would such a hellish thing exist if it weren't hiding something? Maybe he'd get lucky and the dog would be in there.

He took a step towards the entrance. Immediately, he started to gag. Was that his imagination, or did he hear barking inside?

"You think something is in there, Natsu-kun?"

The Fire Dragon Slayer turned around. Eve Tearm of Blue Pegasus.

"Do you plan on taking it?" Natsu asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Everyone knows you can't go on vehicles, Natsu-kun. Taking whatever is in there from you would be like taking candy from a baby." Eve said with a shrug. "I would much rather just go in there and get it myself."

"Oh yeah?!" Natsu yelled, his fists lighting on fire.

* * *

"That probably wasn't such a good idea on Blue Pegasus' part." Sting chuckled.

"Our first showdown in the game arena today, ladies and gentlemen. Snow versus fire! The matchup isn't very favorable towards Eve Tearm, is it?" Chapati said.

"As we've seen many times before, magic type does not dictate the outcome of the battle." Yajima informed.

"That is absolutely correct, Yajima-san." Chapati agreed.

"But have you ever seen Natsu-san lose?" The White Dragon Slayer commented, leaning his head into his hand.

* * *

"White Out!" Eve yelled. A flurry of snow surrounded him, making him impossible to see.

Natsu craftily buried himself under a snow mound. Being a Fire Dragon Slayer, the temperature of the snow had little effect on him. He heard Eve's shoes crunch against the snow. Natsu waited until Eve got closer to his location. Once he heard the crunch of snow just a few feet away, the Fire Dragon Slayer let out a roar, aiming his fire at an upward angle.

Eve let out a short scream, quickly covering his face with his arms. The Fire Dragon Slayer jumped out, tackling the Blue Pegasus mage to the ground. The two of them grunted as they hit the floor. Natsu quickly turned around and punched the Snow mage in the gut, sending Eve into the air. The blonde landed on the floor, unconscious.

* * *

"That was anti-climatic." Sting commented with a chuckle. "A short battle, as expected of Natsu-san."

"Looks like Blue Pegasus is out of the running, folks! They still have ten points on the board, so it is likely they will be back for Day Five." Chapati informed the audience. "There are only three guilds remaining in the mini game, whoever finds the puppy first, will be awarded ten points."

"Three guilds and three prizes." Yajima said thoughtfully. "If Lamia Scale can secure enough points to get a total of ten, they won't have to worry about winning or losing the battle round."

"And if they get ten, that probably means all four guilds will move on to Day Five." Sting reminded.

The screen suddenly changed, prompting the audience to holler and cheer.

"And Sabertooth takes first place, ladies and gentlemen!" Chapati exclaimed.

On screen, Orga held a puppy to his face as it licked his cheek excitedly. Behind the Lightning God Slayer were the remains of a Ferris wheel. Various carts strewn around the area while the main body of the Ferris wheel laid on its side, on top of a kiddy coaster.

"That looks oddly cute." Sting said in a disturbed voice.

* * *

"WHERE IS IT!" Toby yelled, clutching his sock necklace tightly. The Lamia Scale mage had yet to find the hint. "Rrrarf!"

The sounds of distant barking responded. Toby made a questioning growling noise to himself. He used his dog-like ears to locate the source.

* * *

"And Toby Horhorta of Lamia Scale secures second place! Earning his guild six points! Just enough to have a total of ten." Chapati announced. "Fairy Tail is the last one in the arena. Will Natsu Dragneel find the puppy?"

"He has dragon senses, he'll find it eventually." Sting said offhandedly.

"But will he be willing to go get it?" Yajima asked in amusement.

* * *

…One Hour Later…

* * *

"And Natsu Dragneel is _still_ staring up at that roller coaster." Chapati sighed.

"'Kin, I know we don't have a time limit…but…" Mato said nervously.

"Not even the Fairy Tail members are paying attention any longer." Yajima commented.

The Fairy Tail bench was as cheerful as can be as they sat around together, eating and drinking the goodies that Lucy and Lisanna had brought them that morning. Plus, some of the others went to get take-out food so they could have an all-guild luncheon. Well, minus their Fire Dragon Slayer.

"And neither is Sting-san." Chapati noticed. The White Dragon Slayer had his arms crossed as he leaned his head against the wall, asleep.

* * *

He could hear it. He could smell it. Hell, he could even see it, but just barely as the cage peaked over the side of the cart.

Natsu was one hundred feet away from victory. The Fire Dragon Slayer stared up at the intimidating sculpture. The little puppy sat restlessly in a cage that was placed inside of a rollercoaster cart. The objective was to ride the rollercoaster on the other track and either skillfully jump out or grab the cage.

He continued to look up into the sky.

* * *

"For lord's sake, man! Just walk up the tracks!"

"Boo!"

"Just say he got third and move on with it!"

"Oh my," Mira giggled. The audience sure was getting antsy.

"Well, at least he got there." Lisanna said with a grin.

"Flame head is going to stand there forever if someone isn't there to push him." Gray scoffed, stuffing a sandwich into his mouth.

"Maybe we should send Erza in?" Lucy joked, happily munching on a Panini.

"Erza, where are you going?" Levy asked when the Re-quip: Knight mage suddenly stood up.

"I don't think they'll let you into the arena." Mavis commented, peering over the side to get a better look at the guards.

"Natsu will never willingly get into a vehicle on his own, you know." Erza reminded, crossing her arms.

"He'll climb up the tracks eventually." Lucy said absently, still smiling as she chewed. The Panini was so good!

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen! Natsu Dragneel is running up the tracks!" Chapati said in excitement. Finally! The mini game was about to end. "In third place, we have Fairy Tail!"

On the lacrima vision, the Fire Dragon Slayer yelled in effort as he scrambled up the tracks, going through the loop de loop, and staying on course even when the tracks twirled upside down.

"Thank goodness." Yajima sighed.

"Earning themselves four points, Natsu Dragneel puts Fairy Tail in a good position." Chapati said, looking towards the other judges to get their opinion. "Sting-san, wake up." The professional announcer whispered.

"Good morning." Sting mumbled, rubbing his eye.

"While Natsu is finishing up, let's take a break before the battle round." Chapati sighed.

* * *

"That took less time than I thought it would." Master Makarov said happily.

"Who's assigned for battles today?" Lucy questioned.

"Me and Laxus." Erza answered, stretching out her muscles.

After a short pause, the Celestial mage replied, "So we're going all out?"

"You can say that again, Lucy-nee." Romeo agreed.

"Natsu, welcome back." Mira greeted as she saw the Dragon Slayer sluggishly walk through the door.

Natsu whimpered his greeting, slouching against the doorframe.

"The famous Salamander, everybody." Gray said sarcastically as he clapped. "Real smooth, squinty eyes."

"Gray, you bastard-urgh." Natsu groaned, slumping closer to the floor.

"You humans are pathetic." Porlyusica commented.

* * *

"Welcome back, everyone!" Chapati exclaimed. "The votes are in! Please take your seats, there are going to be some exciting battles today."

"Tag battles today, right?" Sting asked, rubbing his hands together. "Let's see who gets to face us."

"I believe I know which two guilds are the favored pair." Yajima commented, shifting his eyes sideways to look at the White Dragon Slayer.

"Let's see if you're correct, Yajima-san." Chapati said, straightening out a piece of paper with the voting results. "The crowd favorite for today's matchup is… Fairy Tail versus Sabertooth!"

The audience erupted into cheers.

"Aw, man. I can't believe I have to sit this one out." Sting complained. "Well, Fairy Tail, let's see what you've got!"

"Good luck to you both." Yajima said.

"All right, send out your players!" Chapati announced, seeing Mato walk onto the field. "On Fairy Tail's side, we have an impressive lineup! Titania, Erza Scarlet and Thunder God, Laxus Dreyar!"

Sting whistled, overwhelmed, "Looks like we're in for a tough battle, today."

"And on Sabertooth's side, we have another impressive lineup! Shadow Dragon, Rogue Cheney and White Celestial Wizard, Yukino Aguria!"

"If Yukino is the 'white' one, does that make Lucy the 'yellow' one or the 'blonde' one?" Sting asked, hearing Yukino's 'nickname' for the first time.

"This will be an interesting battle. Will they go underground this year?" Yajima asked.

"There are forty-five minutes on the clock!" Chapati said, looking over towards Mato.

"Begin, 'kin!" Mato yelled, signaling for the gong to be hit.

* * *

"You had a tough time against Gajeel, but I'm a different story." Laxus said, crackling his lightning around him.

"I've improved since then." Rogue retorted, shifting his battle stance.

"Hello, Yukino." Erza greeted.

"Hello, Erza-sama." Yukino responded softly, tilting her head down slightly for a small bow.

The gong resounded through the stadium.

Similar to last year, Fairy Tail moved first. With a bolt of electricity, Laxus launched his body forward, landing an upper cut to Rogue's jaw. Erza re-quipped into her Flight Armor. Her newly acquired speed boost worked to her advantage. Moving faster than what Yukino could follow; Erza knocked the golden key out of the Celestial mage's hand. Pisces' key clattered onto the ground, tumbling away from the battle.

Without letting the Re-quip mage faze her, Yukino quickly fisted her hands and steadied her balance. She kicked out towards Erza, barely missing her opponent. Careful to keep away from the Re-quip mage's swords, Yukino tried to land a hit every so often, however found herself dodging most of the time. Though she wasn't landing many hits, Yukino was impressed with herself for dodging, especially when Erza had increased speed.

Rogue wasn't faring much better than his guild mate. Laxus had sent him flying back from the initial attack. After that, the lightning attacks never let up. In an attempt to get his footing back, Rogue dissolved into the shadows. That, however, didn't stop the Lightning Dragon Slayer from breaking up the ground with his magic.

* * *

"How are they doing out there?" Lucy asked as she reentered the balcony viewing area.

"Kicking ass." Gray replied with a smirk.

"How's Natsu?" Lisanna asked.

"He's resting." Lucy giggled. "I left Caelum with him."

"Caelum?" Happy asked.

"A silver key I got in Crocus." Lucy informed. "As Caelum's first job under my contract, I put Natsu and Porlyusica's safety in its hands."

"With Ivan still out there, we shouldn't take any risks." Mira agreed.

"Manly thinking!" Elfman exclaimed.

''I'm a woman." Lucy sighed, peering over at the arena. "Wow, Erza and Laxus aren't letting up at all."

"Yukino-san already lost both of her Zodiac keys." Wendy supplied.

"I doubt she wants to call out Ophiuchus." Lucy said sympathetically.

"Why not?" Charle asked.

"Ophiuchus isn't the type that likes to be called on, too often." The Celestial mage said sheepishly. "And since I brought it out yesterday and it almost got hurt, I don't think Ophiuchus will be in a good mood."

"So, it's like Aquarius?" Gray joked.

"Shhh!" Lucy hushed, quickly putting her hand over Gray's mouth. "She can hear you." The Ice Make mage paled.

"Love rival." Juvia whispered in a dark voice.

"Well, then again, I don't think she'd be paying attention to me." Lucy said nervously, taking her hand back. "Wow, look at that kick." She said suddenly, turning towards the fight.

* * *

"Shadow Dragon's Roar!" Rogue yelled; a shadowy stream left his mouth.

"Lightning Dragon's Roar!" Laxus shouted in a reply, crackles of electricity leaving his person. The two attacks collided; making a tornado with swirls of different colored magic soar above their heads.

Erza grunted as her body tilted forward. Her forearms lay on the ground as she sent a roundhouse kick towards the white haired Celestial mage. Yukino ducked underneath the leg before sending her own kick towards the Re-quip mage. Erza masterfully did a backflip, summoning a sword and swinging it in a wide arc around her.

Instinctively, Yukino put her arm up in defense. A rather deep gash appeared on her forearm, bloodying the tip of the sword. Without missing a beat, the Celestial mage disregarded her injury and pivoted forward. Raising a fist near eye level, Yukino started to send her attack towards the red haired mage. Erza narrowed her eyes, easily deflecting the fist. Yukino was good at combat, but not nearly as good as Erza was. The Re-quip mage sent a swift kick into the Celestial mage's stomach, sending Yukino soaring nearly parallel to the ground.

The Celestial mage spotted a glimmer of gold in her vision as she flew through the air. Tilting her center of gravity, Yukino landed her hands on the ground, a golden key under her left hand. Quickly grabbing the object, she flipped back onto her feet.

"Open, Gate of the Balance, Libra." Yukino said quickly, holding the key high in the air.

Erza and Laxus were immediately lifted up high above the battlefield.

"Tch, as if that would stop us." Laxus scoffed. "Raging Bolt!"

The field became silent for a split second as the spell activated. A large lightning strike appeared from the sky, raining down directly onto the two Sabertooth wizards and the Celestial Spirit. Fairy Tail's opponents screamed in pain, however Libra kept her focus, continuing to shift the gravity against her opponents.

"Re-quip!" Erza commanded, shifting her armor in a blink of an eye. Now donning her Heaven's Wheel Armor, she pointed her sword towards the group down below. "Circle Sword!" A plethora of swords began to form circles, spinning at top speed towards the three. Yukino and Libra skillfully dodged the attack, only receiving a few flesh wounds. Rogue, on the other hand, thought it best to send the swords away with a blast of Dragon Shadow magic.

"Don't you think this is a bad idea, Yukino?" Rogue asked, sending another roar towards the swords. The blades never let up, going where their master willed them. "I think the height is giving them an advantage."

"Sorry," Yukino apologized to her teammate. She nodded towards Libra. The Spirit of the Balance shifted gravity once more, sending the Fairy Tail mages into the ground. The attacks from the swords continued. Libra shifted gravity in every direction, to no avail. "Thanks for your hard work, Libra." Yukino sighed.

"Sorry to not have been of use." Libra said in goodbye as she disappeared back to the Celestial World.

Laxus and Erza were instantly falling back towards the ground. The two mages landed expertly on light feet.

* * *

"Fairy Tail sure is giving Sabertooth a run for their money, ladies and gentlemen." Chapati commentated.

"By the way the audience is cheering, I don't think we were the favorite in this match." Sting sighed.

"I'm not quite sure how you select your S-class mages, Sting, but Fairy Tail has a very strict process. Yukino and Rogue are up against two, very well trained, wizards." Yajima pointed out.

"Uh… well…" Sting said uncertainly. He still hadn't official made any requirements to becoming an S-class mage in his guild. "I'm sure Rogue and Yukino will give it their best shot."

"According to Sorcerer's Weekly, Fairy Tail only has four S-class mages." Chapati said, looking through his papers. "With a guild as large as theirs, that's a very small number of individuals."

"Man." Sting exhaled. "Let's go, guys! Sabertooth pride!" He yelled into the microphone.

"Lightning God and Titania are both S-class mages, but who is actually more powerful?" Chapati asked rhetorically. "According to recent interviews with Master Makarov, he stated that within the guild, besides being titled S-class, SS-class qualified, or a regular member, there are no ranks. The Fairy Tail Master has stated a dislike for ranking his members individually. So there is no clear answer as to which S-class member is stronger than the other."

"Just becoming an S-class in Fairy Tail is a feat, but they also have to be tested to qualify for SS-class jobs, 10-year missions, and 100-year missions." Yajima informed.

"Have either Erza or Laxus gone on missions larger than S-class jobs?" Chapati asked.

"They've been seen doing SS-class jobs." Sting commented. "I'm not so sure about the others, though."

"Fairy Tail's strongest member, Gildarts Clive, has been seen doing 100-year missions." Chapati said, reading a slip of paper with some of Fairy Tail's information. "That is certainly impressive."

"They run a tight ship to ensure safety." Yajima agreed.

"But they do throw one hell of a party." Sting chuckled.

* * *

"Your new outfit sure is pretty, Lu-chan." Levy commented touching the mesh cut out on Lucy's abs. "I doubt this will be good for protecting you though."

"Like what you wear is any better." Lucy joked. "Or even Erza's outfits."

"At least hers are armor." Cana commentated, taking a swig of something in a dark bottle.

"But look at Heaven's Wheel Armor. I'm sure someone could slice up her stomach and pierce her heart." Lucy said as she looked towards the battlefield. The Celestial mage suddenly laughed, being joined by the guild members around her. "As if Erza would let anyone get that close to her."

"That's a good one, Lu-chan." Levy said, taking a deep breath to get her breathing back to normal.

"You've been gone for way too long." Cana scoffed.

"I sure do miss home." Lucy agreed, stretching her arm muscles. "Hey, Mira, is that today's newspaper?" The Celestial mage asked as a headline on the front page caught her eye.

"Yeah, you want it?" Mira asked, closing up what she was reading to hand it over.

"Thanks," Lucy said gratefully, reading the front page.

"Is something wrong?" Levy asked.

"No, just something that caught my attention." Lucy said, giving the Solid Script mage a grin.

 _ **Headline: Ancient Golden Fleece Stolen By Dark Guild**_

Lucy read the article seriously, keeping her facial expressions steady as to not worry her guild mates. Before she could really get into the article, a slight twinge in her magic made her look towards the hallway leading to the infirmary.

"Master," Lucy called, setting down the newspaper.

"What is it?" Gray asked, also looking towards the hallway when he noticed his teammate's attention drifted from both the fight and the newspaper.

"What is it, my dear?" Makarov asked; his eyes narrowing as he sensed a certain magic leaking in through the doorway.

The rest of the Fairy Tail members detected the serious atmosphere, also turning to look towards the hallway.

"Caelum is getting attacked." Lucy informed, lightly jogging out the doorway. Gray made a motion to follow but was stopped by the Master.

"Everyone stay here." Makarov commanded, leaving with Mavis to follow the Celestial mage.

"But you might need back up." Gray argued.

"We'll be all right." Mavis said sweetly as they were leaving. The Ice Make mage couldn't argue with that kind of sugary sweet attitude.

"The hallway isn't big enough for a fight." Wendy said worriedly.

"Aye." Happy replied, summoning his wings. "I'll go guard Natsu and Porlyusica!"

"Wait, Happy!" Charle called, but it was too late.

"He'll be okay." Cana said, patting the white Exceed on the head. "No need to worry about your loved one."

"L-L-Loved one!?" Charle squeaked. The Card mage laughed joyfully.

"I'm sure it's Ivan." Gajeel grunted.

"Why would he attack so close to us?" Max asked.

"Maybe he's desperate?" Levy said with a shrug. "His entire team is behind bars."

"I think he's trying to take hostages." The Iron Dragon Slayer scoffed. "Our infirmary is an easy target."

"He probably wasn't counting on their being a guard, then." Mira said, worriedly looking towards the hallway.

Happy slowly flew back into the viewing balcony. The guild members gave the Exceed a confused look.

"First sent me back." Happy sighed. Mavis sure can be convincing when pulling at people's heartstrings with her cute act.

* * *

Caelum beeped steadily as it levitated easily in front of the infirmary door. Its red orb gleamed brightly through the attack it was being assaulted by. The Spirit of the Chisel changed forms, preparing to launch a laser beam to its attacker. Its job was to protect the infirmary, as per requested from its' owner. Caelum was not going to fail.

"As if paper figures could hurt Caelum." A feminine voice said as a woman walked down the hallway. Its owner, Lucy, waltzed onto the scene, her arms crossed in silent anger. "What do you think you're doing to my friend?"

Just as Ivan Dreyar was about to make a snappy retort, the stern voice of Makarov cut through the atmosphere, "Ivan,"

"Looks like a party," Ivan scoffed humorlessly.

"Caelum, are you all right?" Lucy asked once the paper dolls disappeared. She laid a light hand on top of the Spirit. Caelum answered with a few computer beeps.

"What the-" Porlyusica said from behind the infirmary door, about to open it.

"Stay inside, Porlyusica-san!" Lucy warned. She swore she heard a scoff about noisy ingrates.

"What do you want, Ivan?" Makarov asked. "Why do you target us?"

"Lumen Histoire." The younger Dreyar demanded. "Where is it?"

"It is none of your concern." Makarov answered.

Paper human figures started to appear and surround Lucy, giving her some shallow paper cuts.

"I'll take this girl with me if you don't hand it over."

"'This girl' single handedly took care of what was left of your guild." Makarov informed, sneaking a side-glance to the Celestial mage to make sure she was all right. Mavis stood nearby; ready to assist in any way she could as an apparition.

Caelum beeped a bit faster, loading up the laser beam. Its owner was in danger. With a nod from Lucy, the beam fired, hitting Ivan in the middle of his chest, sending the man into the wall close by. The Shikigami magic disappeared.

"Get inside." Mavis commanded, narrowing her eyes at Ivan.

"Are you sure, First?" Lucy asked worriedly.

"It's better to leave it between the father and son." Mavis replied, urging the Celestial mage to the infirmary door. "Have Porlyusica-san treat your injuries."

"Be careful, Master." Lucy said softly over her shoulder as she opened the door and stepped inside, Caelum following after her.

"What's going on out there?" Porlyusica asked.

"What happened to you, Lucy?" Nastu questioned in concern when he saw her riddled with thin cuts. He was still lying on the bed, turning to his side when the door opened.

"Ivan." Lucy answered.

Porlyusica sighed and got to work. The medical advisor insisted that the Celestial mage take a seat on the other bed and let her poke and prod at the shallow paper cuts with disinfectant. Lucy tried not to flinch at the sting, lest she anger the elder woman.

"Are you all right?" Natsu asked softly.

"More or less." Lucy sighed, wincing. "How about you? Still queasy?" The Dragon Slayer nodded against the pillow.

"You're done." Porlyusica said, cleaning up her supplies.

"Thank you." Lucy replied, standing up and going towards the pink haired man. "You've never been this ill before, and you didn't even ride the roller coaster."

"The thought of it is sickening." Natsu blanched. From the other side of the room, the medical advisor rolled her eyes.

"You don't want to watch Erza and Laxus battle with Sabertooth?" The Celestial mage asked, sitting on his temporary bed.

"They'll win." He scoffed.

* * *

Erza leapt back, doing a backwards somersault in the air while Re-quipping into the Lightning Empress Armor. She unfolded her body and held the spear high into the sky, calling out lightning. Her electricity shot down directly upon her partner, Laxus Dreyar.

Without even flinching, Laxus ate the offered magic and sent it directly back at the scrambling Sabertooth members. Before she landed, Erza re-quipped, once more, into her Sea Empress Armor. Pisces, who were floating above them, were instantly targeted down by the red haired mage.

Not missing a step, Laxus summoned up enough magic to turn his body into electricity and shot forward. Rogue turned into a shadow, following the Lightning Dragon Slayer's every move.

Rogue tried his best to keep up, jumping out of the ground every so often to send an attack. Laxus easily dodged, using his speed to keep the Shadow Dragon on alert. Suddenly, Laxus turned ninety-degrees, directly towards the Celestial mage. Before Rogue could turn around, Erza's blades assaulted him, leaving him screaming in pain.

Yukino coughed, her lungs desperate for the air that had gotten knocked out of her.

"Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!" Laxus yelled, holding his hands above him as if he were holding an actual halberd.

* * *

"Yo, Laxus, isn't that too much?!" Bickslow yelled out.

"What does he think he's doing?" Evergreen asked, shocked.

"Laxus knows what he's doing." Fried commented coolly, though the twitch his eye gave out said otherwise.

* * *

"And after a fierce battle, Fairy Tail takes the victory!" Chapati yelled excitedly.

"That was a bit one-sided," Yajima commented. The White Dragon Slayer sighed, but then gave the viewers a small smile.

"They did the best they could against these guys." Sting chuckled.

"Can I assume that you will be using ten points to stay in the Games?" Chapati asked.

"Yeah." Sting exhaled. "At least we won the mini game."

"Now, on to the next match! Lamia Scale versus Blue Pegasus!" Chapati announced.

* * *

"Feeling any better?" Lucy asked softly, running her hand through Natsu's soft, pink locks.

"Mm-hm." Natsu hummed, scooting closer to the blonde. He lay on his side, his body curling around the area the Celestial mage sat on the bed. Caelum had left to take a rest in the Celestial World. Porlyusica had tired of their company, leaving to see that Makarov was all right.

"Natsu, you made me miss the fight." Lucy sighed, hearing the cheers through the window. "The least I can do is go congratulate them." She began to get up, her hand leaving his head.

The Fire Dragon Slayer quickly reached out of the blanket and gently grabbed her wrist. He softly tugged her hand back, making her body hit the bed and plop back into a sitting position.

"Stay." Natsu whispered.

"We can't stay here forever." She replied softly, continuing to rub his head as per requested. "Besides, I'm sure Happy is worried about you."

"Just a little longer." He curled his body a bit more, his knees bumping into her thigh. "It's relaxing here, with you."

Lucy blushed slightly, but didn't otherwise comment. The cheers outside grew fierce, signaling the entrance of the wizards from Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale.

The Fire Dragon Slayer smiled as he closed his eyes, sneakily inching closer to her body. It's not that he actually felt dizzy anymore, but just being near her presence calmed his raging soul. Her hand felt like the softest message in all of Earth Land. And although he was a Fire Dragon, the warmth that emanated from her skin warmed his body all the way to the inside.

He had missed her.


	25. PPP

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Five: PPP

* * *

"Don't go anywhere yet, ladies and gentlemen!" Chapati Lola announced with excitement. "We have some new rules for Day Five of the Grand Magic Games. Masters of the four guilds, please step down into the arena!"

"Me too?" Sting asked in surprise.

"Yes, you too, Sting-san." Chapati chuckled. The White Dragon Slayer gave the reporter a weird look before leaving the announcer's booth. Why did they invite him as a judge if they were going to send him out?

"It's amazing how things worked out." Yajima commented. "All of the guilds today will be passing onto the final round."

"I agree, Yajima-san." Chapati agreed. "All right, Sting-san has made it to the arena."

Down below, Masters of Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Fairy Tail, and Sabertooth greeted each other pleasantly.

"Good luck to you all." Yajima said.

"Like last year, the Fifth Day will be an all out battle between the teams." Chapati started to explain. "However, the points you have collected up until now will no longer determine whether a guild wins or loses. Instead, the last man standing in the arena on Day Five will be the winner." Suddenly, Mato and a group of the Grand Magic Games committee brought out a table with a stack of cards on top. "Guild Masters, please take a look at the lacrima-tron."

The screen displayed six cards, each with a different picture on them.

"You can exchange ten points for one of these cards. The cards will be face down on the table and you will select them at random." Chapati continued to explain. "Keep in mind, once a card is chosen, it can be chosen again by a different guild. The cards have different affects for the final day of the Grand Magic Games.

"The first card is called Ally Switch." The card shined on screen, showing a picture of two stick figures with an arrow in between them pointing both ways. "If this card is chosen, Masters have the liberty to change their team. You can switch out as many players as you desire.

"The second card is called Hidden Player," A different card appeared on screen, showing one with a stick figure hiding behind a building. "Essentially, when this card is chosen, the guild will be able to send in a sixth player. At the beginning of Day Five, the sixth player will be hidden in the arena, and not even his or her guild will know where he or she is.

"The third card is called Extra Life." Chapati continued. The next card to shine on the lacrima-tron was one with a stick figure with a plus sign next to it. "Like the name suggests, one player on the team will receive an extra 'life.' When knocked out, the player can be replaced with another member of the guild. Of course, this can only be applied once."

"Sounds tempting," Yajima commented.

"It does, doesn't it?" Chapati agreed. "However, the last three cards are enough to rethink taking the chance to obtain one of these gifts.

"The fourth card, in this set, is called Signal Flare." The card had a small stick figure at the bottom of the card with a large firework above it. "Every thirty minutes, a signal flare will shoot into the sky, showing where one member of the team is. Guild Masters can select whom the signal flare will follow.

"The next card is called Minus." This card had five stick figures lined down vertically with two of them X'ed out. "Two members of the team will be eliminated before even starting the game, leaving only three members to fight against the others in the arena.

"The final card is called Timer." The card had a pocket watch on it with ten minutes shaded in with red. "The wizard who is effected by this card can only use magic for one minute every ten minutes. It doesn't matter how much magic is used, but using magic for more than a minute will result in the adding of another ten minutes to the timer." Chapati concluded.

"Those are some big punishments." Yajima said.

"It is up to the Guild Masters to decide whether they would like to take the risk of using their remaining points to obtain one of these cards." Chapati commented.

"It is a shame that Blue Pegasus is left with no points."

"Yes, after today's loss against Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus will have to go into the fifth day with the team they have currently." Chapati announced. "Remember, guilds, each card is worth ten points. We, however, didn't anticipate that no guild would receive twenty points throughout the Games."

"Two cards in play for one guild would have made an interesting battle." Yajima commented.

* * *

"Do you think Master will risk it?" Lucy asked. She and Natsu had gone back to the balcony just as Lamia Scale beat Blue Pegasus during the battle round.

"Fairy Tail isn't Fairy Tail without a few risky plays." Natsu chuckled, giving Gray a fist bump.

"This will definitely put a few more unknown variables into my calculations." Mavis mumbled.

"We'll overcome it, if we receive a bad card." Erza said.

* * *

"Have you decided, 'kin?" Mato asked, looking towards the Guild Masters.

"We'll take it." Sabertooth's Master, Sting Eucliffe, said with a grin. The Games' Mascot nodded, motioning towards the table.

The six cards on the table magically shuffled themselves and lined up in two rows of three. The White Dragon Slayer hesitantly reached out and picked a card. Once the card was off the table, another appeared in its place.

"It will be beneficial for you to keep that card a secret, 'kin." Mato suggested.

"Right." Sting replied, putting the card in his pocket. He stepped back.

"You better give us a good card or I'll spin you." Ooba Babasaama, Master of Lamia Scale, threatened.

"'Kin…" Mato stuttered nervously. The elderly woman waited until the cards finished shuffling themselves before picking one. "Fairy Tail?"

"We'll take the risk." Makarov said with a cheerful grin. The cards shuffled once more. With his Titan Magic, the Master of Fairy Tail lengthened his arm and grabbed a random card.

* * *

"An exciting turn of events! Every guild possible has selected a card!" Chapati said excitedly. The lacrima-tron changed to show the current scores.

 _Fairy Tail – 8_

 _Sabertooth – 2_

 _Blue Pegasus – 0_

 _Lamia Scale – 0_

The lacrima-tron then showed the scores exploding.

"Of course, the points will now no longer have a meaning for the rest of the Games." Chapati reminded. "Guilds, enjoy the next two days of rest! That concludes Day Four of the Grand Magic Games. Come back on July 7th to see the exciting conclusion! Thank you to Sting-san for being our guest judge today. This is Chapati Lola and Yajima-san, we'll see you all in two days!"

* * *

"We're meeting at the bar?" Lucy asked as Fairy Tail was leaving the coliseum.

"Let's hurry, I want to know what card we got." Natsu said eagerly.

"Master said to meet in an hour." Erza reminded.

"Correct. He and Laxus are talking about what happened earlier." Freed confirmed. The Fire Dragon Slayer pouted.

"There goes Plan PPP." Natsu grumbled.

"You need to pee?" Max asked with a weird look.

"Too much information, flame brain." Gray scoffed.

"Pee-pee-pee? You need to go urgently?" Wendy questioned innocently.

"No!" Natsu yelled. "Plan, party, play!"

"What…?" Evergreen asked.

"That's not a very manly name." Elfman commented in disappointment.

"What, exactly, are you talking about, Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"We'll plan Day Five, like we did last year, and then we'll party like always, and _then_ we can go play in the city!" Natsu said in excitement, but then he pouted. "But since we won't be meeting until later…" He trailed off.

"Oh my," Mirajane giggled.

"Lu-chan, want to visit the bookstore with me?" Levy asked.

"Sure, Levy-chan." Lucy agreed happily, walking away from Natsu's side.

"You don't want to hang out with us, Lucy?" Natsu sulked.

"I'll see you in an hour," The Celestial mage replied. "Unless you wanted to come with us? Books were never your thing before?"

The Fire Dragon Slayer scowled, looking towards the ground.

"No," Natsu said softly.

"We'll keep him busy." Gray said suddenly, putting a hand on Natsu's shoulder.

"Um… All right? I'll see you guys in an hour, then." Lucy said in confusion, turning to leave the group with Levy. The Solid Script mage sent an apologetic look over her shoulder.

When the two girls were out of earshot, Natsu let out a yelp as the back of his head was hit by the Ice Make mage.

"What the hell was that for, snow cone?" The Fire Dragon Slayer complained.

"If you like her, just tell her." Gray scoffed.

"Tch, what do you know?" Natsu grumbled.

"You could have gone with them, Natsu-san." Juvia said softly. "Even if it is to a place you dislike, it's better to be together, isn't it?"

"You don't want what happened to happen again without her knowing, do you?" Erza said next. Natsu crossed his arms and looked away from his family with a slight blush.

"Don't be so stubborn." Lisanna scolded.

"I'm not being stubborn." Natsu complained. "I'm doing things my own way."

"If you say so, Natsu." Bickslow said, his 'babies' copying his words.

The guild eventually split up into groups, going to various locations before the appointed meeting time came to pass.

"You should get her a gift." The Ice Make mage said distractedly. "Why am I giving you love advice?" He yelled, horrified. Gray unconsciously stripped his shirt off. Juvia didn't think twice before picking up the article of clothing and draping it over her arm.

"I don't know and I don't want it!" Natsu replied.

"But buying her a small gift would be a nice gesture." Erza said, agreeing with the Ice Make mage's suggestion. "Something that isn't too thought out. Something that says 'I saw this and I thought you would like it."'

"Juvia is sure Lucy-san would appreciate a nice sweet?" The Water mage suggested, looking into the window of a cute sweets shop.

"Yes, sweets are an excellent idea." Erza said, quickly going into the store.

"We'll be in here for the next forty minutes." Gray sighed, following the Re-quip mage inside. "Might as well get something to eat."

"In a sweets shop, Gray-sama?" Juvia questioned. "Gray-sama doesn't want to eat more sustaining food?"

"Erza eats sweets all day. I don't see the problem." Natsu commented, absently looking at the selection of colorful cupcakes. The Dragon Slayer then stuck out his tongue and gagged. "It smells like some kind of dessert monster exploded in here."

"Is the sugar too strong for you, Natsu-san?" Juvia asked curiously. "Gajeel-kun doesn't like sweet stores, either."

"Great." Natsu replied sarcastically. He had something in common with _Gajeel._

"Want something, Juvia? It was your idea." Gray questioned, walking to them with a tray covered in various desserts. "Come on, I'll buy it for you."

"Juvin!" Juvia squeaked, quickly abandoning Natsu to go select a piece of cake.

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you want Lucy likes, fire idiot." Gray chuckled, walking away to see what Juvia wanted. Natsu rolled his eyes, but went to the other side of the store to inspect the weird desserts. Maybe he should get Lucy something?

* * *

"You should be nicer to Natsu, you know." Levy commented as she pulled down a book from the shelf.

"What?" Lucy asked, shocked. "I wasn't mean to him."

"You wouldn't think so." Levy mumbled, but then gave the Celestial mage a bright smile. "Just try to be really sweet, okay?"

"What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing." The Solid Script mage said absently. "It has just been hard for Natsu, lately."

"Really? He hasn't said anything about it." Lucy replied while reading the summary of a book.

"Of course he hasn't." Levy said absently, turning her back to her best friend to dodge any more questions. The Celestial mage lifted an eyebrow in confusion.

* * *

"Where have you been, Happy?" Natsu asked as the blue Exceed flew into the bar.

"With Charle." Happy said dreamily.

"Just Charle?" Gray said with a smirk.

"We were with Wendy and Romeo." Charle huffed, prompting the Sky Dragon Slayer to giggle.

"Were you a chaperone, Happy?" Lucy joked, coming in through the door at the tail end of the conversation.

"Natsu! Lucy is trying to drink me!" The blue Exceed cried, flying to the other side of the bar at top speed.

"Lucy, did you get this weird drinking habit from Loke?" Natsu asked, aghast.

The Celestial mage blinked in confusion before understanding the situation, "That's champagne! I said chaperone!"

"Idiot." Gray sighed, taking a seat at one of the tables, his team, plus Juvia, followed suit.

"Why would I want to drink a cat?!" Lucy gagged.

"Natsu!" Happy cried, flying back over. "Lucy says I'm not delicious!"

"I'll marinate you, cat." The blonde threatened with a tick of her eyebrow. "Then we'll see if you're _delicious_."

"You've gotten a mean streak, since coming back." Natsu said, ignoring the cries of his Exceed partner.

"I'm not being mean. Why do you guys keep saying that?" Lucy huffed indignantly.

"You just threatened to marinate Happy." The Fire Dragon Slayer said dryly.

"He started it." Lucy pouted softly.

"You're weird, Lucy." Natsu commented.

"That's not a new nickname." She scoffed. Gray, Juvia, Erza, Wendy, Happy, and Charle silently watched the two 'flirt.'

"Here," The Fire Dragon Slayer said suddenly, pushing a paper bag towards the blonde.

"What's this?" Lucy questioned, lightly beginning to open the bag to look inside.

"We went to a dessert shop. I thought you would like something." Natsu replied, looking at the knobs in the wooden table rather than at her.

"Oh?" She asked, peering inside. "A fruit tart?"

"You like strawberries, don't you?" Natsu mumbled. The Celestial mage took it out of the bag cautiously.

"Thank you, Natsu." Lucy said brightly with a short laugh. "I never expected you to share food."

Natsu grumbled, but was taken aback when Lucy placed the tart in front of his face, insisting he take the first bite. Hesitantly, he ate a small piece of the fruit tart. The Celestial mage laughed again, bringing her thumb to the corner of his lips to wipe off a crumb. Natsu's face started to burn a bright red, even more so when Gray whistled at them.

"Shut up, icy bastard." Natsu growled.

"We're not doing anything, Gray." Lucy complained, the blood in her body also rushing to her face.

"You like each other," Happy drawled out, rolling his tongue on the 'L.'

"Brats, are you all here?" Master Makarov asked, cutting off all of the conversations while standing on top of the bar countertop.

"I believe so, Master." Mirajane answered pleasantly, dutifully standing beside the elderly man.

Choruses questioning what the card was echoed throughout the bar. Makarov took out the card from his shirt pocket. Fairy Tail's card showed a stick figure hiding behind a building.

"Hidden Player." Mavis said excitedly. "Who wants to go in the arena?"

"Someone who works well with Laxus, Erza, Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel." Mira suggested.

"Why not you, Mira?" Cana asked.

"I think it would be a good time for Lucy to show off her new spells." Levy said next.

"Wait, me?" Lucy asked, shocked. "But wouldn't it way more entertaining if someone stumbled upon Mira by accident in the arena? Besides, she fights way better than I do, especially when alone."

"Give yourself some credit, Lucy. You fought that guy from Zepar War alone without getting a scratch." Gray scoffed.

"And you brought out a dragon!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Wouldn't it be exciting to be in the arena?" Mira asked with a giggle. "No one will know what you can do."

"You guys don't even know." Lucy grumbled, eating a strawberry off of the tart. "Why not Levy?"

"What?" The Solid Script mage gasped.

"You can give all of the Dragon Slayers a boost with your magic." Lucy replied.

"That's not a bad idea." Mavis thought out loud.

"What about Cana?" Levy countered. The Card mage finished swallowing a mouthful of alcohol before giving a weird look to the shorter girl. "She can do the same, except make iron. And she has fought in the arena before."

"Then why not one of the Thunder God Tribe?" Cana suggested. "They work well with Laxus. Gray, Natsu, and Erza are already a team, and Gajeel has worked with everyone once before."

"Oh my, no one wants the job." Mira giggled.

"I vote Lucy!" Natsu declared.

"Hey!" Lucy complained. "Then I vote Mira!"

"Warren! He can use his telepathy to contact the others and tell them where he is!" Max yelled next.

"No way! I vote Max! He has an element the others don't!" Warren countered.

"Why not Juvia?" Gajeel asked loudly.

"How about Wendy? She can heal everyone!" Romeo shouted.

"Romeo-kun!" The Sky Dragon Slayer protested.

Shouts of random names and reasons rang through Master Makarov's ears. The Sixth Master sighed while Mavis laughed joyfully.

"Okay, brats!" Makarov yelled, silencing the commotion. "Let's discuss why Mira should go in." The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage lifted her hand in greeting and smiled warmly.

"She's crazy strong and an S-class mage." Macao said.

"She can smile while taking someone out." Wakaba added.

"Mira-san can fly." Wendy piped up next.

"Who wouldn't want to see Mira in the arena?" Lucy asked rhetorically. "She's the crowd favorite."

"Okay, next up, Lucy." Makarov said next.

"Wait, we're actually considering me?" Lucy asked.

"She's part of our team!" Natsu yelled happily, slinging an arm around the blonde girl.

"She can summon up some Spirits, which will put us at more than six players." Gray said.

"And she has received some new spells and keys that can throw our opponents off guard." Erza added.

"I've never worked with Laxus, though." Lucy informed. "I don't know if we have a compatible battling style or if we'll just get in each other's way."

"We're guild mates." Natsu started to say. "We'll get it together eventually."

From near his grandfather, Laxus rolled his eyes. Things never quite worked the way they thought it should.

"Juvia?" Mavis asked curiously.

"She fought well last year." Gajeel informed.

"She demolished Lyon." Gray snickered.

"Juvia wouldn't say 'demolished.'" The Water mage said softly.

"She fights better than me!" Lucy yelled out, trying to take herself out of the race.

"Why don't you want to go in?" Natsu asked.

"I don't want to mess up again." Lucy sighed, leaning her head in her hands while lazily eating another piece of the dessert that was gifted to her.

"All right, and how about Levy?" Master moved on.

"Food for the Dragon Slayers." Lucy said instantly, sticking her tongue out at her friend as 'payback' for suggesting her.

"Don't make it sound like we're going to eat her, bunny girl." Gajeel scoffed.

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" The Celestial mage countered, making Levy blush madly and Gajeel to scoff once more.

"It'll be good experience." Mira interrupted, veering the conversation back to the important details. "She hasn't been in the arena, yet."

"That doesn't make it a good idea." Levy complained. "Besides, I'll be starting off by myself, who knows where."

"I'm sure you can hold your own." Jet encouraged, Droy nodding in agreement.

"And Cana?" Mavis asked next.

"She can make food for two of the Dragon Slayers." Max said.

"She can set traps." Lucy piped up next.

"She's kick-ass in the arena." Macao added.

"And how about Wendy?" Makarov said, following his internal list.

"A healer, of course." Gray said. "When Chelia was in the arena last year, she kept healing."

"She can fight when she needs to." Erza added.

"I don't really like fighting, Erza-san." Wendy replied sheepishly.

"This is going to be a long day." Makarov sighed.

* * *

"Get him!"

"Don't let anyone escape!"

Explosions of light decimated the side of a large white building. Two figures ran out of the debris, one laughing manically while the other smirked. The one laughing turned back around and shot a large beam of light at the guards chasing them. The white-cloaked guards were blown back into their reinforcements that have just arrived.

"And these pathetic mages call themselves part of the Magic Council?" The Light wizard laughed.

"These old geezers that call themselves the council members do nothing but complain and twiddle their thumbs all day." The escaped prisoner scoffed. "And they say what they're doing is for 'the best.' Pathetic."

"Agreed." The Light mage scoffed. "Anyways, let's go home and tell Master."

"Took you guys long enough. I've been cooped up for a whole year!"

"Well better get training then. We've got some new information."

"Oh?"

"The Spirit King has made his move." The Light mage said seriously, the two of them still running from the scene of the crime.

"And how many have we gathered?"

"A few. They're not easy to locate."

"Good thing there aren't too many in the first place."

* * *

"Lucy Heartfilia, congratulations. You're our Hidden Player." Makarov announced, clapping.

"You're kidding." Lucy sighed, banging her head on the tabletop.

After much deliberation, the players were narrowed down to two: Mirajane and Lucy. It was when Gray remembered that Lucy had a magic and scent concealing cloak that it was decided that the Celestial mage would go into the arena as Fairy Tail's Hidden Player.

"Let's plan quickly so we can go out or party or something." Natsu said in determination. Plan PPP has to happen!

"Will you be gracing us with your expertise this year, First?" Erza asked.

"Of course." Mavis said happily, swinging her legs back and forth while sitting on the bar counter. "Let's get to work!"

"Can the rest of us leave?" Cana asked crassly.

* * *

…Later…

* * *

"It's dark." Lucy sighed as the group stepped out of the bar.

"We have the next two day's off." Natsu reminded, stretching his arms above his head.

"I've been meaning to ask." Gray started to say, looking towards the Celestial mage. "Why have you been carrying a backpack all day?"

"You guys told me to move to your hotel." Lucy said indignantly.

"That's all the stuff you have?" Laxus asked with a raised eyebrow. "You've been gone for almost an entire year."

"It's all I took when I went on that mission." Lucy informed. "Anything else I needed, the Spirits provided for me."

"Are you tired? We can just go and rest." Natsu suggested.

"I thought you wanted to go out and play in the city?" Lucy wondered.

"We can take your stuff." Laxus said, with Makarov and Mavis nodding in agreement. "We'll put it in Erza's room."

"You're not going out?" Gajeel asked.

"Not tonight, brats." Makarov answered. "It's late, and an old man needs some sleep." The Sixth Master stretched his muscles lazily.

"See you in the morning." Laxus said, absently taking Lucy's pink backpack. Inwardly, he cringed at getting seen with such a girly looking object. Not only was it a baby pink, but it also had a cute little plush doll keychain.

"What I wouldn't give to take a picture." Gray whispered to Natsu and Gajeel. Also being a Dragon Slayer with sensitive hearing, Laxus sent a pointed look towards the Ice Make mage.

"Good night, Master, First, Laxus." Erza said politely.

"Good night, and thanks Laxus." Lucy said next, ignoring the boys. With that, the Lightning Dragon Slayer, Makarov, and Mavis left for the hotel. Though Mavis was only accompanying them for a bit before doing… ghostly things.

"What now?" Gray asked.

"I'm going to find Wendy and the Exceeds." Gajeel grunted, taking a step to leave the group. "Later."

"Tell Happy to meet me at the hotel later." Natsu called.

"Do it yourself!" Gajeel shouted back.

"Jeez." Natsu grumbled. Lucy giggled, putting a hand to her mouth to try and muffle the sound.

"So what should we do?" Erza asked. "Shall we get some dinner?"

"Dinner sounds amazing." Lucy replied. "When I was out with Levy, there was this cute food stand if you guys don't want anything fancy. I think you'd really like the fire there, Natsu."

"They sell fire?" Gray asked dubiously.

"No, but they were cooking some kind of meat on a stick. Meat and fire, Natsu's favorite meals." The Celestial mage laughed.

"Let's go!" Natsu exclaimed.

"This way." Lucy giggled, leading the group.

"You don't have any weird guards today?" Gray questioned.

"They're not weird!" Lucy complained. "But I do, they're just watching from the Celestial World. They only come out when they sense danger or if I put myself in a not so favorable situation."

"Why do you need guards, anyways?" Natsu asked, walking closely to the blonde.

"I told you, we'll talk about it when we get home." The Celestial mage reminded. "Oh, we're almost there!"

"Whatever it is, smells amazing from here." The Ice Make mage said, drooling slightly. They had been planning for Day Five of the Games for hours, missing their regular dinnertime.

"Oh, look at that fire!" The Fire Dragon Slayer said happily. "You're amazing, Lucy."

"I wouldn't say that." Lucy said blushingly. "I just found some fire."

"I'm not so sure the owner appreciates his fire being taken." Erza commented, though she did nothing to stop Natsu from getting up close and personal with the food stand.

"I'm sure Natsu can light it again." Lucy giggled.

* * *

…

* * *

"Natsu! When I say, light the fire again, I didn't mean to light the whole stand!" Lucy scolded.

"You should have figured that would happen." Gray snickered.

"Sorry, Lucy." Natsu said in a small voice. The Celestial mage raised an eyebrow in confusion. Since when did Natsu have a voice as soft as that?

"I… um…" Lucy stuttered.

"Let's get going." Erza cut in, returning from her talk with the food stand owner.

"What did he say?" The Ice Make wizard asked.

"He has insurance." Erza said calmly. The rest of the group let out a sigh of relief. "But Fairy Tail has to pay for half of the cost of a new stand." The group sighed again, disappointed.

* * *

"Why are you here, Gajeel?" Jet asked.

"Tch, why can't I?" The Iron Dragon Slayer asked back.

"We were on a team outing." Droy informed softly.

"Let's go there!" Levy cut in, stopping any argument from manifesting. The Solid Script mage pointed to a crowded ice cream shop.

"I hope they have pistachio." Jet said absently, leading the group into the small store.

"Don't eat the bindings to the glass casing, Gajeel." Levy warned, seeing the hungry look in his eyes.

"Come on, shrimp. I didn't get dinner yet." Gajeel scoffed.

"You're more than welcome to go get some." Jet said happily.

"Jet's a bit bitter." Droy whispered to himself.

"We'll wait for you outside of the shop." Levy compromised. "Meet us there."

"Don't bother. I'll find ya'." The Iron Dragon Slayer said, leaving with a lifted hand that represented a goodbye.

"If you say so," Levy whispered.

"What was that?" Droy asked.

"Oh, nothing. Let's get some ice cream." The Solid Script mage said quickly, getting in line. "I think I want cookies and cream."

* * *

"I'm still hungry." Natsu complained, holding his stomach.

"When are you not?" The Celestial mage asked.

"Let's go there, Lucy!" The Fire Dragon Slayer said excitedly, pointing to a dimly lit restaurant and bar that was playing dance music. He grabbed her hand and tugged her along.

Erza started to follow after the couple but was stopped when Gray grabbed her wrist.

"Wait," The Ice Make mage said. "Shouldn't we leave them… you know… alone?" The Re-quip mage thought about the implications and nodded.

"Okay." Erza agreed, turning to walk in a different direction. "Where shall we go?"

* * *

"Erza-san and Gray-sama, alone? A new love rival?" Juvia gasped, seeing her Gray-sama grab the woman's wrist.

The Water mage imagined up an anniversary party for Gray and Erza, the two of them holding hands and laughing. The guild was decorated prettily with ice sculptures professing words of love.

Juvia's face turned white in panic as she hid behind a lamppost.

* * *

"Hm?" Gray hummed, turning to look behind him.

"Something wrong?" Erza asked.

"No," He said slowly. "I just thought someone was watching us."

"All right." She said, continuing to walk. Soon, the Ice Make mage followed.

"Erza-san! Gray-san!" Wendy called, running towards the group.

"Are you enjoying your night out?" Erza asked when the girl caught up to them.

"There are so many places to see." Wendy said excitedly.

"Where's Natsu?" Happy asked.

"He and Lucy went off by themselves." Gray informed with a mischievous smirk.

"No! Natsu! She's planning on eating me!" Happy cried in distress, flying around in circles. "Don't let her corrupt your mind!"

"Gajeel was looking for you, Lily." Erza said, spying the black cat by the other Exceeds.

"I haven't seen him." Pantherlily informed, shrugging.

"I'm sure Gajeel-san will find us with his nose." Wendy commented.

"We were heading back to the hotel. Wendy thought we should ask if you wanted to come with us?" Charle said.

"Sure, I guess." Gray said with a shrug. "Fairy Tail will probably be partying all day tomorrow."

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Erza agreed, leading the group towards the hotel.

* * *

"Where'd the others go?" Lucy questioned, looking behind her as they sat at the bar counter.

"Who cares?" Natsu said; salivating over the food other patrons were having.

"Your stomach is a never ending pit." She giggled. Lucy felt a pressure on her hand and realized it was still clasped in Natsu's. The Celestial mage blushed. Natsu probably didn't even realize it.

"Are you getting any food?" He asked, opening a menu with his free hand and laying it on the bar counter.

"I guess I could go for an appetizer."

The Fire Dragon Slayer pushed the menu closer to the blonde.

"You pick first." He offered, putting their linked hands on his leg. Lucy blushed harder, though it wasn't seen due to the dim lighting.

"N-Natsu?" Lucy questioned.

"Hm? Did you pick?" Natsu asked, oblivious.

"H-How about the cheese fries? I think you'll like it." She stuttered, pointing at the menu option.

"Whatever you want." He answered, turning the page slightly to look at the entrees but kept the appetizers list opened for her.

"Why…Why are you holding my hand?"

"No reason." The Fire Dragon Slayer replied, giving her a cheeky, innocent grin.

Lucy blinked in confusion. Natsu sure had changed. She wondered…

* * *

 **A/N: I think this is a dying story. The more chapters I post, the less reviews it gets.**


	26. Confusion

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Six: Confusion

* * *

"Erza?" Lucy called from outside of the hotel room, knocking on the door. "Are you here?"

The Re-quip mage gently set down a sword she was polishing and went to open the door for her guild mate.

"Lucy," The red head greeted. "Come in."

"You weren't sleeping were you?" The Celestial mage asked worriedly.

"I was just polishing some swords." Erza replied, motioning towards the abandoned sword. The Re-quip mage then walked to the counter against the wall and grabbed the extra card key, handing it to Lucy.

"Are you sure, Erza? I can ask for another room if it's too cramped for you." The blonde said, knowing that Erza was used to living in large living spaces – if Erza's dorm at Fairy Hills was any indication.

"It's fine, Lucy. We'll share a bed." Erza said, sitting on the side she wanted and patting the space next to her. "Besides, our members have claimed all of the other available rooms."

"Oh." Lucy replied softly, sitting in the spot her teammate indicated.

"Laxus put your stuff on the counter."

"Thanks."

"You seem to be lost in thought." The Re-quip mage noticed, picking up her sword and polishing cloth. "Something you want to talk about?"

"It's Natsu." Lucy whispered, absently placing the backpack on her lap.

"H-how was your d-date?" The red head asked with an embarrassed flush.

The Celestial mage blushed, stuttering to correct her friend, "I-It wasn't a d-date!" Erza turned her eyes to the other girl skeptically. "I… Has he been acting… weird to you?"

"Weird?"

"He held my hand for nearly the entire dinner!" Lucy whisper-screeched. The red head raised an eyebrow. "And when we were talking…" The Celestial mage trailed off.

"Did he say something offensive?" Erza asked menacingly.

"N-no! He was… sweet."

"Is that a problem?"

"No, not a problem." Lucy said slowly, fiddling with the zipper on her backpack. "It's just not the same…'sweet' that I'm used to from Natsu."

"Things change, Lucy." Erza said with a shrug. "Why don't you bathe? It has been a long day." The Re-quip mage sent her sword back into her inventory and turned to the blonde, putting her hands on Lucy's back to begin undoing the zipper of the white dress.

"I could use a shower." Lucy sighed. "What do you mean 'things change?'"

"Just that things change." Erza laughed softly, cryptically. The blonde raised an eyebrow in confusion, but got off of the bed and headed towards the shower, holding her loosened dress in place.

As the water poured down her body, the Celestial mage couldn't help but think of her night out with Natsu. Was it a date? Did he realize that the situation could even be considered a date? And why did he hold her hand? Lucy exhaled, leaning her forehead against the wall. Natsu was too romantically dense to realize what he was doing. Right?

The hot water continued to cascade down her back.

* * *

…

* * *

" _That really hits the spot." Natsu said in satisfaction as he patted his stomach._

" _I hope it did." Lucy replied dryly. "You ate five entrees."_

" _Are you full?" The Fire Dragon Slayer asked, ignoring the comment._

" _Help me finish this." She pleaded, pushing the plate of cheesy fries toward him._

" _You're so weird, Lucy."_

" _Geez, that's a new one." The Celestial mage said sarcastically before putting a fry in her mouth. Natsu smirked at her, taking a handful of fries and nearly swallowing them whole._

" _So," Natsu began saying. "Why didn't you want to be our Hidden Player?"_

" _Didn't I tell you? I said I didn't want to mess up again."_

" _Tch, and I told you, you're weird." He scoffed. "You never messed up."_

" _Last year," Lucy reminded. "I couldn't win our match, and then I go and humiliate us during the game."_

" _They weren't your fault, and you know it." Natsu said seriously, turning to face her fully. She stared into his eyes, neither losing contact. "Chin up, Lucy." He said softly, putting his finger under her chin to lift up her head slightly._

 _Losing her serious composure, the Celestial mage blinked in bewilderment, swallowing a lump that had formed in her throat._

" _Natsu?"_

" _It doesn't matter if we win or lose." He replied. "As long as you do your best, no one will blame you for anything. You know that." Natsu slowly moved his hand to stroke her cheek once before dropping his hand. "Besides, you're back with us now." He grinned. "There's nothing that can top that."_

* * *

…

* * *

Lucy sighed once more, lifting her head off of the shower wall and turning off the water. Things change? She wondered if what she thought had changed was actually true.

* * *

…Morning…

* * *

"Lucy, Erza!" Gray called, knocking on the girls' hotel room. "Are you girls up? Gramps has something he wants us to do today!" The Ice Make mage knocked once more.

"Morning," Lucy mumbled, cutely rubbing her eye as she opened the door. She wore a light pink button up shirt that was large enough to reach just above mid-thigh. Gray stared unabashedly at the Celestial mage's smooth legs. The shirt was just loose enough to fall slightly off of one shoulder, showing creamy skin and a pronounced collarbone.

"What was that about Master?" Erza asked, coming up behind the blonde.

"I…Uh…" Gray mumbled, his eye twitching at the Re-quip mage's sleeping outfit, a rather short black t-shirt. If the red head lifted her arms just a bit, he bet that he'd get a glimpse of her panties. Shaking his head to get rid of his thoughts, Gray focused on the girls' faces. "Master has something he wants us to do." He repeated. If Erza knew what he just thought, he'd be a goner.

"What is it?" Lucy asked. Gray glanced towards her, accidently looking behind her to see only one bed. They had slept together on one bed?!

He swallowed thickly before replying, "I don't know. He just told Mirajane to tell the rest of us to meet at the bar."

"We'll be there as soon as we're ready." Erza said, putting her arm over Lucy's head to place her hand on the door. "If you'll excuse us," The Re-quip mage then closed the door without waiting for a response from the Ice Make mage.

In the hallway, Gray exhaled loudly, leaning against the now closed door. He knew Fairy Tail women were pretty, but damn. They wore _that_ and slept on the same bed, for crying out loud! What kind of virile male wouldn't be phased?

Gray scoffed. Natsu wouldn't be. The Ice Make mage pushed his body off of the door, going next door to wake up the next set of Fairy Tail wizards.

Then again, with Lucy in the picture, perhaps Natsu would be affected like the rest of the adults.

* * *

"He was staring, you know." Erza said, combing through her wet hair.

"Who?" Lucy asked absently, rubbing her hair with a towel.

"Gray,"

"Was he?" The Celestial mage asked, not bothered by the information. "He doesn't mean anything by it."

"Probably." Erza replied, putting down her comb and re-quipping into her usual outfit. Lucy reached above her back and zipped up her dress, dropping the towel onto the back of a chair. The blonde looked towards Erza. The red head wasn't going to hit Gray for being a pervert?

"I wonder what Master has us doing today."

"Probably something beneficial to the guild." The Re-quip mage said with certainty.

* * *

"Step up, everyone! Pictures, autographs, kisses! All for an affordable price!" Max yelled into the street full of tourists and citizens.

"What exactly are we doing?" Natsu asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a Fairy Tail block party!" Mirajane said happily.

"Block party?" Happy asked, floating by Natsu's head.

"We'll be serving food and drinks to anyone who comes by, today." Lisanna answered, walking by them with a tray full of finger foods. "Of course, we'll be selling autographs and charging for photos."

"Max said 'kisses.'" Happy informed.

"That'll cost them." Mira replied with a wink, walking away to serve some drinks.

The Fire Dragon Slayer looked towards his partner. What the heck was going on today?

Even this early in the morning, the area around Bar Sun was crowded and rowdy. Their guild mates were cheerfully greeting guests around the area, some even giving out autographs and taking pictures. Of course, Max was flittering around to collect the money. Though, he did get asked for an autograph and picture once in a while.

"It's Salamander!" Someone gasped behind the duo. "Do you think he'll take a picture with me?"

"Of course, ladies!" Master Makarov said happily. Natsu turned around and spotted the old man walking up to the giggling girls. "Come, Natsu."

With confusion written on his face, the Dragon Slayer walked up to the two girls, letting them flank his sides. He smiled at the lacrima-camera that Gramps pointed at them. With an ounce of magic poured into the device, two pristine photos printed out of it.

Still standing around in perplexity, Natsu watched as Fairy Tail's Master gave the girls their photos and, in turn, the girls gave Gramps the money due.

"What exactly are we doing today?" Happy asked.

"The King of Fiore has all of the guilds participating on Day Five host a block party." Master Makavor informed with a grin. "Of course, we're allowed to raise money for our guild along the way."

"So we price things to the max?" Natsu asked dryly.

"Master!" Mira called. A man with a cheesy grin stood next to her. "Can you take a picture for us?"

"Of course Mira-chan." Makarov replied, going over to the guild's cover girl happily. She was the moneymaker, after all.

"Ah, Natsu, Happy, good morning." Max greeted. "Have you gone inside, yet?"

"No, we just got here." Happy informed.

"Well, hurry inside, then!" The Sand wizard urged, pulling them along.

"What's inside?" Natsu grunted.

"A photo shoot."

"What?" Happy questioned. "Like a glamour model thing?"

"Exactly." Max said, opening the door into the bar. Inside, instead of the usual tables, was a large green screen with Mavis floating behind a camera stand. "We need you guys to take a few pictures for autographs."

"Me too?" Happy gasped happily.

"You're a mage of Fairy Tail, too, Happy." Max said hurriedly. "You know the drill, First."

"Of course!" Mavis replied excitedly. "You first, Natsu! Do five poses, okay?"

"You have an autograph signature, don't you?" The Sand mage asked.

"No," Natsu drawled out.

"Make one now," Max sighed, getting a blank piece of paper from one of the tables pushed against the wall. "Practice it. Whenever someone asks for your autograph or picture, call Macao, Wakaba, Master, or me over. We have the lacrima-cameras and lacrima-data printer."

"Lacrima-data printer?" The Fire Dragon Slayer questioned.

"It's a new invention that the King let all of the guilds borrow for the day. It's like a portable lacrima-printer but it stores all of the pictures everyone takes. We just have to select the photo and put in a little magic to make it print." Max explained, holding up what looked like a thin sheet of glass that was about a six-inch wide rectangle. "Make some good poses," He said, leaving the duo in Mavis' hands.

"Let's get started, then." Mavis exclaimed, bringing the two of them out of their thoughts.

* * *

"Whoa, there are a lot of people here." Lucy said, surprised. She and Erza were walking towards Bar Sun, where everyone was supposed to meet up.

"There you are, Lucy-san, Erza-san." Wendy greeted, running up to them and grabbing their hands. "Let's hurry inside."

"What's the rush?" The Re-quip mage asked, letting the younger wizard pull them along.

"First is going to take your autograph pictures." Wendy replied with a grin.

"Autograph pictures?" Lucy and Erza asked together.

"Yes. You two are quite popular." The Sky Dragon Slayer giggled.

"Hey, Lucy!" Natsu yelled, waving his hand wildly.

"Morning, Na- Ah!" Lucy yelped as Wendy tugged her a bit harder as they neared the door.

"Sorry, Natsu-san!" Wendy apologized. "Master is getting antsy to get these two to the modelling set." The group of girls burst through the door to the bar, seeing the Thunder God Tribe arguing with their leader.

"Can't you just play along?" Evergreen asked, hands on her shapely hips.

"Fairy Tail will raise a lot of money off of you." Freed said with stars in his eyes. "You're very popular."

"Tch," Laxus scoffed softly. The Lightning Dragon Slayer sat on a stool in front of the green screen, one of his legs propped up on a bar that connected one of the stool's legs to the other. His elbow rested on his raised knee and his chin in his hand.

The click and flash of a camera alerted the group to the fact that a new picture had been taken.

"Can't you just pose one more time, Laxus?" Mavis pouted from behind the camera. "I'll make sure the background is lightning." The Lightning Dragon Slayer sighed, unable to resist the First Master's earnest plead.

Bickslow grinned from behind Mavis, his 'babies' floating around him. Freed couldn't stop blushing as Laxus tried to come up with a fifth pose. The others of the Thunder God Tribe had already taken their photos and were diligently waiting for their leader to finish up.

"Ah, Erza." Evergreen greeted, her fan covering part of her face. "Let's see who the Fairy Queen is today."

"Oh?" The Re-quip asked, crossing her arms, intrigued.

"Whoever sells the most: wins." Evergreen challenged.

"I'm not sure if this is such a good idea." Lucy mumbled to the blue haired girl. Wendy nodded.

"Let's do one shirtless!" Mavis piped up excitedly. Laxus blinked in surprise, as well as the others in the bar. "What? All the other guys did it!" First defended.

"Is Mavis a closet pervert?" Evergreen whispered, making sure that the little blonde apparition couldn't hear.

"Well, they are kind of hot." Lucy said out loud, quickly gasping and covering her mouth, blushing brightly.

"Bahaha!" Bickslow chortled, his 'babies' also laughing in high pitch tones. "Looks like she's not the only one."

"Lucy-san!" Wendy gasped, embarrassed for the girl.

"You posed without a shirt on?" Erza asked. Though she tried to be indifferent, her pink cheeks told another story.

"First had asked us to." Freed said professionally. The calm Runes mage also began losing his cool as he spotted Laxus unbuttoning his shirt.

* * *

"Gray-sama, your shirt." Juvia reminded, bringing over two bagels with cream cheese sandwiched between the two halves.

"Why does this keep happening?" Gray grumbled angrily, picking up his shirt and slipping it over his head once more.

"Juvia brought you breakfast." The Water mage said happily, waiting with bated breath as Gray took one of the bagels from her.

"Thanks, I was starving." The Ice Make mage said with gratitude. He was about to take a huge bite when some fans called his name.

"Oh my gosh, it _is_ Gray Fullbuster!" A woman said in admiration, looking the Ice wizard up and down. "Wow, look at those abs." She whispered.

Gray looked down at his torso. Where the heck did his shirt go, _again?_ How did he even do it with a bagel in his hand?

"Gray, take a picture with me!" The woman's friend, another overly excited female, said.

Juvia's eye twitched. Love rivals.

"Ah, there you are," Gray said suddenly, spotting two other guild members walking in his general direction. The Ice Make mage allowed one of the fans close to him as he said, "Erza, you're being requested by a lot of people."

"I shall attend to them, then." The Re-quip mage replied, walking away from their Celestial mage friend and towards the group that Gray pointed to.

"And Natsu's looking for you." The Ice Make mage informed the blonde, not even flinching as the fan grabbed his arm.

Juvia's eye twitched once more. No, she must be nice. These were guests.

"Is he?" The Celestial mage questioned, eyeing the group surrounding the Fire Dragon Slayer. "He seems a tad busy."

"Come on, Gray, please take a picture with us." The fan pouted.

The Ice Make mage sighed before saying, "We're all a bit swamped, today."

"I'll get Max or someone for you." Lucy said in amusement, grabbing Juvia's hand and walking away. "Master!" She called out to the closest person to her.

"Lucy-san, where are you taking Juvia?" The Water mage questioned; turning her head to look back at Gray.

"To do your job, Juvia," Lucy giggled. "Gray will be fine, I promise."

"Ah, Lucy, dear, good timing." Master Makarov said, someone trailing behind him in excitement. "Jason, here, would be honored to have an interview with you."

"Cool! Cool! Cool!" The Sorcerer's Weekly reporter yelled in eagerness. "Lucy-san, can you answer a few questions?"

"Oh, of course." Lucy said, slightly surprised. "Master, Gray needs your assistance."

"I see." Makarov said with a satisfied gleam in his eyes. "Ah, Juvia, there is a group of Water wizards that wish to take a picture with you and get autographs."

"Juvia will see to them." The Water mage said politely, leaving to fetch either Max or Wakaba who were the closest to her.

"So, Lucy-san," Jason began, taking out his notepad and pen. "Your battle against Zepar War…"

* * *

"I'm allowing you access into the human world. Go."

"Yes, King." A man with lightly tanned skin and piercing red eyes said politely, bending an arm against his torso and bowing marginally before he disappeared.

"King." A woman called, emotionlessly. Her long brown hair tied in a ponytail swung at the intense speed she was running at.

"Lepus, what can I do for you?"

"Seems I am too late to catch Draco."

"Do you have new information?" The Spirit King asked.

"We found one." Lepus replied. "They are getting closer to it as we speak."

"Go down to Earth Land, as well. Deter them."

Lepus nodded, though just as she was about to open her gate, someone called out to them, "They have another one!"

"Leo." The Spirit King said, silently asking.

"The one they were after just last week." Loke said, panting slightly. "They got it."

"Just now?" The King asked.

"No, but recently." Loke answered. "Another thing,"

"What is it, Leo?" Lepus asked, her thin eyebrow lifting. She voiced no emotion, but showed impatience in her stance. She had places to be, a society to try and save.

"We can't locate some of the members." Loke informed. "Is anyone watching Lucy?"

"We are not that incompetent, Zodiac." Lepus scoffed. "We have someone watching her every Earth Land second."

"Is her assigned guard with her?" Loke asked, sending narrowed eyes at the Beast woman.

"Her assigned guardian for today's Earth Land day is not with her. We do not want to cause our owner unnecessary trouble, do we, Leo?" Lepus asked hypothetically, keeping her voice even. "By sending someone down there, it will bring her unwanted attention."

"Lepus, go deter the group before they find it." The Spirit King cut in.

"Yes, sir." Lepus replied, bowing slightly and disappearing in a glitter of golden light.

"Leo," The Spirit King called, catching the Lion Spirit's attention. "Go to Earth Land and guard her. Your presence there will have no effect on her current surroundings, since you use to be part of that guild."

"I will not fail her." Loke said, opening his gate and traveling realms.

* * *

"You're prettier than I expected." A teenage boy said in awe.

"Thanks?" Lucy questioned with a nervous laugh. The Celestial mage felt a pull in her magic, but ignored it.

"Can I get your autograph?" The teenager asked.

"Sure," Lucy said, waving Max over.

"Ah, Lucy." The Sand mage greeted.

"He would like an autograph." The Celestial mage informed, ignoring another twitch in her magic.

"Of course, of course." Max said, his business personality coming out. "Which picture would you like?" He asked, showing the lacrima-printer to the boy and shuffling through the five pictures of Lucy. "You're pretty hot in these pictures, you know."

"M-M-Max!" Lucy stuttered, her face turning red. The Sand mage chuckled.

"This one." The teenager said, keeping the screen on the lacrima-printer on the picture he wanted.

"I bet Natsu would appreciate this shot." Max joked, willing the lacrima to start printing it.

"Why does everyone keep saying things like this?" Lucy groaned. She pulled the cap off of a marker and took the photo from Max. The Sand mage laughed again, handing over the lacrima device to use as a writing surface. "What's your name?"

"Johnny," The teenager replied with a grin. Lucy methodically signed her autograph signature and then wrote 'To Johnny,' in the top corner.

"Here you go." Lucy said with a smile. "I'll let Max handle your payment, thank you for visiting us." She waved goodbye and walked to the side of the bar building. "What can I do for you?"

"Ah, you found me."

"Loke." Lucy greeted, crossing her arms. "Is there something wrong?"

"Why would you say that, princess?" Loke asked, acting offended by the comment. "Can't I come down for a visit?"

"Draco and Lepus are out." Lucy said with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't open their gates, and now you're here to guard me, right?"

"I can't get anything pass you." He replied with a chuckle.

"When you leech off my magic and I'm used as an anchor, I don't think anyone would be fooled." Lucy said with a roll of her eyes. "What's going on, Loke?"

"They're advancing too fast."

"I see. Is there anything I can do?"

"Stay safe." Loke said, looking into her eyes. "You still have a long way before you can defeat all of them at once. You know it has to be done instantaneously."

"I'll keep a look out." Lucy agreed, turning around to go back to the block party. "Well, come on, I'm sure everyone will be glad to see you. Plus, you'll protect me better out there than behind a building, don't you think?"

"Of course, princess." Loke said with a crooked smile, following her out.

"Ah! Loke is back!" A girl screamed in excitement. "Where have you been?"

As soon as Lucy and Loke were at the edge of the party, a group of women swarmed the Celestial Spirit, pushing Lucy out of the circle.

"What's going on?" Erza asked, catching Lucy as the Celestial mage stumbled out of the group of girls.

"Loke came out to have some fun at Fairy Tail's block party." Lucy replied sheepishly, bending the truth lest she break her current contract. "It got out of hand really fast."

"I see." The Re-quip mage said with a nod. "He should see Master to get some pictures taken."

"Loke has done some modeling before." Lucy giggled. "It should go by quickly."

"I will go fetch Master, then." Erza informed. The blonde grabbed her wrist gently, stopping the red head.

"Wait, have you seen Natsu? I heard he was looking for me?"

"He and Gray are having an eating contest." Erza sighed, pointing towards a pile of dirty dishes on top of a table.

"Thanks," Lucy exhaled, walking towards the destruction. "Natsu. Natsu!" She called.

"Lu-erp-cy!" Natsu burped happily.

"Don't say my name and burp!" Lucy complained.

"We're on our break," Gray informed, finishing off another plate.

"I see." The Celestial mage replied slowly.

"Here, we saved some food for you!" Natsu exclaimed, holding out a plate close to her face. Lucy crossed her eyes and backed up a bit. On the plate was a kabob, although what made this kabob special was that it was lathered in ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and gravy. Was that a slice of cake under that gravy?

Lucy gulped nervously. Did she have to eat this?

"Mira and Elfman made these." Gray said, holding up a different plate. The Celestial wizard mentally let out a sigh of relief. On the other plate was a stack of freshly made kabobs with no sauces poured on them.

"Where's Happy?" Lucy asked, distracting the Fire Dragon Slayer from making her eat the condiment mess. She happily took a seat and quickly grabbed a normal kabob to eat.

"He's still giving out autographs and pictures." Natsu said, effectively distracted as he looked for his best friend. Gray chuckled under his breath as he saw Lucy's shoulders relax.

"He must be popular." She giggled, picking a bell pepper piece off of the stick and popping it in her mouth.

"What's happening over there?" Gray asked, pointing towards where Lucy had come from.

"Loke came to greet us." The Celestial mage giggled. "He'll weasel his way out of it, like usual."

"No wonder the girls aren't as interested in the men in this guild, anymore." Gray chuckled, looking at the disheartened expressions of Macao and Wakaba.

"What? Loke's here?" Natsu asked suddenly, standing up. Crumbs of something fell from his lips as he wiped them away.

"Natsu?" Lucy questioned. Without another word, the Fire Dragon Slayer speed walked over to the group of women, paying them no mind as they yelled in surprise when he nudged in between them to get to his target.

The screams of women were heard before a loud thud echoed across the area as a body landed on a table, breaking it into pieces.

Lucy gasped, seeing who now was lying on the ground above the broken scraps of wood. She stood up from her seat and jogged over, Gray following close behind.

"Natsu, you're scaring our guests." Erza scolded.

"Loke deserved it!" Natsu yelled, marching over to the Celestial Spirit angrily.

"What was that for?" Lucy asked, gently inspecting Loke's bruised cheek.

"It's okay." Loke groaned, sitting up when Gray pulled at his arm. "I deserved it."

"Damn right you did!" Natsu continued to yell. "That's what you get for kidnapping Lucy and not telling us!"

"I think it is a good time for a break." Master sighed. "Natsu, take it inside!"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Laki mumbled.

"They're going to tear the whole building to pieces, and then burn it." Warren sighed.

"We can make a profit out of this, Master." Max informed. "Charge our lovely guests to see a fight."

Makarov didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

…A Few Minutes Later…

* * *

"I can't believe this actually happened." Lucy moaned, nibbling on her half eaten kabob. In front of her were Natsu and Loke, both in a fighting stance while a multitude of people stood around them in a circle. Wasn't Loke supposed to be protecting her?

"If they want to fight, might as well make a quick buck off of them." Gray said with a shrug.

"Gray-sama is so smart." Juvia complimented, emerging out of the crowd in a flash.

The Celestial mage grinned. Just as she was going to turn away, something on the Ice Make mage caught her eye.

"Gray, you're bleeding." Lucy gasped softly.

"Hm?" He hummed questioningly. The Ice Make mage touched his ear, bringing his hand back down to reveal red liquid. "Oh, don't worry about it."

"What do you mean 'don't worry about it'?" Lucy asked.

"Gray-sama, maybe we should get Porlyusica-san?" Juvia suggested worriedly.

"It'll stop soon." He shrugged off.

"It happened before?" Lucy questioned, finishing off her kabob quickly to free her hands.

"Yesterday." Gray informed.

"I told you we should've fixed the spell." Lucy whined, holding the kabob stick between her teeth as she drew out the Capricorn constellation. "My magic must've run out before you were fully healed."

"Lucy-san can fix Gray-sama?" The Water mage asked hopefully.

"I'm not a machine, Juvia." Gray complained under his breath.

"Can you go get Wendy?" Lucy asked, still tightly clenching the kabob stick between her teeth. Her right eye began to glow gold as she whispered the spell, "Capricorni."

"Of course." Juvia replied, scurrying away to get the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Really, I'm fine." Gray sighed, but allowed Lucy to tug on his wrist and pull him away from the crowd.

"Really, brain damage is no joke, Gray." Lucy complained back, opening the door to Bar Sun. "Besides, the faster we get this done, the better. You have to fight the day after tomorrow."

"You do, too." Gray said, sitting where she directed him.

"And didn't I tell you leaving a spell unfinished was a bad idea?" Lucy huffed.

"What's going on?" Mavis asked curiously. The little ghost girl had been passing through the building's walls to enjoy the festivities in secret and take pictures of their members.

"Lingering effects of his match on Day One." The Celestial mage sighed, putting her hands on top of his head.

"You have been cringing a lot lately, like something hurt." Mavis said absently, staring at the Ice Make mage's eyes.

"Lucy-san?" Wendy called out as she, Juvia, and Charle entered.

"Here," Lucy called back. "Hold still, will you?"

"I told you, it's not that big of a deal." Gray argued back.

"You're bleeding out of your ear, and you're saying that it's not a big deal?" Mavis asked innocently.

"After head trauma, bleeding from the ear is life-threatening, Gray-san!" Wendy gasped, hurriedly going over to the group and releasing her magic.

Juvia stood nearby, worrying her bottom lip.

"Porlyusica said it was just a busted eardrum." Gray informed, obediently staying still.

"You went to see Porylusica?" Lucy asked.

"The first time it happened," Gray replied. "Something that your magic didn't get to when the spell was still on me."

"Did Porlyusica-san give you something for it?" Wendy questioned curiously.

"Yeah, then she said to go find you girls if I wanted it healed faster." He scoffed. "It's fine. It would've healed in a few days thanks to Porlyusica rather than a few weeks like it normally would've."

"You could've asked." The Celestial mage pouted, taking her hands away and closing her spell.

"And have you fret over me like now?" Gray asked with a raised eyebrow. "You have enough stress dealing with Natsu."

"What does that mean?" Lucy asked softly. The Ice Make mage grinned, not verbally giving an answer.

"Juvia is so glad Gray-sama is okay." Juvia cut in after a short silence.

"I told you I was fine." He sighed, feeling his ear become 100% better thanks to Wendy and Lucy's finishing touches.

"Eep!" Wendy squeaked as something slammed into the outside wall of the bar.

"I'm surprised Erza hasn't stopped them." Charle commented offhandedly.

"Don't break the bar!" The group could hear the Re-quip mage yelling from outside.

"Spoke too soon." Mavis giggled.

"I hope they'll be okay." Lucy sighed, letting out a frustrated breath. She felt yet another gate open. Though the others, besides Loke, used their own magic to manifest in Earth Land, just what was going on that needed so many of them? Were they trying to act as a distraction?

* * *

 **A/N: I will try to squeeze in a bit more subtle romance. I want to make one thing clear: this is not a fast romance story. I cannot picture Natsu and Lucy rushing into a relationship. I especially cannot see them having sex at this moment in time, like some of you suggested. Coincidentally, most of you who had suggested this were 'guest' reviewers and I could not answer you personally. I imagine something more thought out than doing it as a spur of the moment thing. Not saying that it has to be all candles and rose petals, but maybe just in a more private place than a crowded hotel where their guild mates can walk in on them at any given moment. I tried to write something more 'heavily' romantic, but it feels forced and ruined the flow of the chapter I was messing with. However, once they do get together, there will be tons more romance. Perhaps even an entire chapter dedicated to their relationship.**

 **I hope you understand and respect my decision.**


	27. Monsters

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

 **A/N: How did I choose what card Lamia Scale and Sabertooth received?**

 **I assigned every card a number and used a dice. LOL**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Monsters

* * *

"Thanks to you, my strongest Spirit is out of commission today." Lucy sighed, sending a pointed glare towards the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"He deserved it!" Natsu defended. The Celestial mage grinned slightly, patting him on his shoulder.

"I'll work around it." She replied.

The rest of the team members for Fairy Tail stood back, giving each other a knowing look. Master Makarov and First Master Mavis also shared a look, grinning at the situation.

"Laxus, be sure to give this card to the Games' employee." Makarov said with a cheeky grin as he handed the 'Hidden Player' card to his grandson. The Sixth Master eyed the worker standing by the doorway out to the arena.

"Good luck out there, Fairies!" Mavis cheered.

"We'll be sure to stick to the plan." Erza said, turning to herd the group towards the employee to get teleported into the arena.

Gajeel cracked his knuckles and chuckled, as they got closer. He and the other guys could use a good fight. Gray adjusted his clothing uncomfortably – they would probably disappear less than thirty minutes into the fight. Erza gave some last minute pointers to Natsu and Lucy, the two of them never having experienced Day Five's chaos.

Laxus spoke quietly to the employee as they got ready to get everyone teleported.

Fifteen minutes until the start of Day Five of the Grand Magic Games.

* * *

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!" Chapati Lola yelled excitedly into the microphone. "Today is the final day of the Grand Magic Games. Welcome to Day Five!" Cheers reverberated through the stadium as the excitement level increased ten-fold. "For our last day, we have Yajima-san here,"

"Hello." Yajima greeted.

"And for our guest judge today, we have Mato, the mascot of the Games!"

"Hello, 'kin!" Mato exclaimed.

"As you get to your seats, the participants from each guild are preparing to be teleported into the arena." Chapati informed the audience. "As you can see, the arena is a bit different from last year. Why don't you explain it to us, Mato?"

"'Kin! This year's Fifth Day arena is a jungle, complete with a beautiful waterfall and plenty of trees." Mato explained.

"That's a lot of camouflage the wizards could use to their advantage." Yajima noticed.

"Camouflage comes with a price, in this arena." Chapati announced. The lacrima-tron showed various angles of the arena, however the one thing all of the camera angles had in common were a multitude of trees. "There doesn't seem to be a great deal of open space. Battles will be a tight fit in between everything."

"Perhaps a Plant mage would benefit greatly in this field." Yajima said.

"Don't forget about the mystery cards, 'kin." Mato reminded.

"We'll see how that comes into play today." Chapati added, looking at the clock. "Get ready, ladies and gentlemen, the final day of the Grand Magic Games is about to begin!"

The clock hit nine in the morning. Flashes of light were shown on screen as the competitors were teleported in. Each team was shown one-by-one on the lacrima-tron.

"It doesn't look like any of the guilds picked the Minus or Ally Switch cards." Mato noticed; sounding mildly disappointed.

"Indeed, they did not." Chapati confirmed. "All of the competitors are lined up and ready to go."

"Will Fairy Tail use the same tactic as last year?" Yajima wondered.

A loud bang echoed across the arena.

"And they're off!" Chapati yelled, seeing the screen show quick shots of all four guilds moving. "This year, it seems, Fairy Tail went right into action."

"I hope this will be as exciting as last year's melee, 'kin." Mato commented.

"While the action gets under way, let's introduce the wizards." Chapati announced, shuffling some papers. "From Blue Pegasus, we have Hibiki Lates, Ren Akatsuki, Eve Tearm, Jenny Realight, and Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki!"

"For Fairy Tail, their members are," Yajima read off. "Laxus Dreyar, Erza Scarlet, Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, and Gajeel Redfox."

"'Kin, for Lamia Scale, there are Jura Neekis, Lyon Vastia, Toby Horhorta, Yuka Suzuki, and Chelia Blendy!" Mato continued.

"Finally, Sabertooth has brought in Rogue Cheney, Orga Nanagear, Rufus Lore, Dobengal, and Yukino Aguria!" Chapati completed. "Looks like we finished just in times, folks, the action is just beginning!"

* * *

"I know you're reckless, but please don't start a forest fire." Gray commented dryly.

"Ha! Then do me a favor and don't freeze over the river!" Natsu growled back.

"Why was I stuck going with you!?" The two yelled simultaneously, pushing their foreheads against each other.

* * *

…

* * *

" _You two have the most compatible battling style." Mavis said happily._

* * *

…

* * *

"I hope First knows what she's doing, putting us together like this." The Ice Make mage sighed, jumping over a rather large root.

"Where did she say to go?" Natsu questioned, stopping to look around.

"She said head north for three minutes, and east for five minutes and we have a 75% chance of finding Hibiki, Ren, and Eve." Gray said as if it were obvious. "Your memory sucks, slanty eyes."

"So does yours, droopy eyes!" Natsu insulted back.

"How does my memory suck? I remembered our instructions!" Gray growled.

* * *

"Fuck!" Gajeel growled as his foot slipped on mud and he slid into the ground.

"My, my, haven't you gotten clumsy."

The Iron Dragon Slayer looked up. Jenny Realight stood on top of a tree branch, covering her mouth lightly as she laughed.

"Tch," Gajeel scoffed, getting up and dusting himself off as if nothing happened. Though he did smear the mud a bit more. "A bit earlier than what First planned." He mumbled.

"What?" Jenny asked in confusion.

"Gi-hee." The Iron Dragon Slayer chuckled, summoning an iron pole and directing it at the Blue Pegasus mage.

"Hey!" Jenny complained, jumping off of the tree branch and using her Take-Over magic.

"That a new Take-Over?" Gajeel questioned with a raised eyebrow. It looked...delicious.

Jenny gently landed on the ground, her Take-Over complete. She now wore yellow short-shorts and a yellow bikini top. Around her abs was black ribbon wrapping around multiple times until it covered most of her skin. On her arms was a metal chain, one side being attached to a large metal ball of some sort.

"As you know, I use Take-Over magic. Machina Soul to be exact." Jenny gloated, swinging the metal ball in circles. "Any machine I touch, I can use their attributes in magic form. This is a wrecking ball machine!" Before letting him comprehend the information, Jenny expertly threw the wrecking ball in a wide arc, making the weapon head towards Gajeel at a fast speed.

Without flinching, the Iron Dragon Slayer stopped the medium sized wrecking ball with his hand, gripping it to bring to his mouth. He took a large bite.

"Not as good as I thought it would be."

"Don't eat it!" Jenny screamed. "And what do you mean 'not good?!' It's top quality metal!"

* * *

"Is Fairy Tail going after Blue Pegasus, or is it just a coincidence?" Chapati asked the audience.

"It is unfortunate that four out of the five team members on Team Blue Pegasus are already facing intense battles." Yajima commented.

"But that also puts three out of five of Team Fairy Tail in intense battles, 'kin." Mato noticed.

"Dragneel and Fullbuster are at a bit of a disadvantage." Chapati commentated as the screen showed the two Fairy Tail wizards against the younger Trimens of Blue Pegasus. The screen changed suddenly to show a signal flare shooting into the sky. "It has been thirty minutes and it looks like a guild has gotten the Signal Flare card!" The screen zoomed in to the person that the card was targeting. "It's Orga Nanagear of Sabertooth! How will this card affect him?"

"That is unfortunate for Sabertooth, 'kin." Mato thought out loud.

"It has only been thirty minutes into today's battle, we'll keep a look out on Nanagear to see what happens." Chapati said as the lacrima-tron changed views once again. "Looks like Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus aren't the only ones moving. Lamia Scale's Toby Horhorta has gotten himself into a bit of trouble with Sabertooth's Rufus Lore and Dobengal."

"Many teams have paired off their members." Yajima observed.

"Easier to overcome opponents, I imagine." Mato said.

* * *

Erza emerged out of the tree line, gracefully stepping up to a small lake in which a waterfall fell into. She knelt down and placed her hand into the surface of the water, feeling the cool liquid splash onto her skin. She looked up. The cliff that the waterfall fell from was quite high. A jump from the cliffs above into the pool below would be quite treacherous, especially with the rough currents of the waterfall. The small lake shifted into a smaller, lazy river, flowing down into lord knows where. This was a magically created environment, after all.

An unusual ripple sent water rushing up her arm slightly. Erza looked intently into the pool of water. A shadow appeared and then disappeared just under the waterfall's currents, probably a fish of some kind. She stood up, not questioning the creature further.

First Master had instructed her to seek out a member of Lamia Scale. She'd use the cover of the trees to ambush them. Erza set off down stream, away from the beautiful waterfall.

* * *

"Man! Glimmer, glimmer!" Ichiya huffed, creating sparkles in the sunlight. The Perfume mage walked through the forest, his hands dancing in the air above him.

He looked left. Trees.

He looked right. Trees.

Ichiya sniffed the air, commenting on the sweet perfume wafting through the breeze coming from the right. The leader of the Trimens made a sharp turn, following his senses.

"Man~."

A few feet away, hidden in the branches of the trees to the man's left, a figure smirked.

* * *

"Memory Make," Rufus said calmly, putting two fingers to his temple. "Sword of Frozen Black Lightning."

Black lightning fell from the sky, targeting Toby directly. The Lamia Scale mage howled in pain, yelping once more as the electricity struck the ground and turned into large, sharp ice pillars. As quick as the lightning strike, another Sabertooth wizard appeared next to him.

"Sorry that your time here has been cut short." Dobengal whispered near Toby's ear. The Sabertooth mage covered his leg with rainbow colored magic and kicked Toby away.

"This takes me back." Rufus said with a chuckle. "Using a spell I had memorized from last year's battle against Gray Fullbuster."

"That's one down." Dobengal cut through his partner's reminiscence. Toby's body flashed yellow as employees from the Grand Magic Games committee teleported the Lamia Scale wizard out of the arena.

"Shall we split ways?" The Memory Make wizard asked. "If I remember correctly, Sting said not to stick together for too long."

"I'm going to go west, then." Dobengal replied with a shrug.

* * *

"It doesn't look like Toby Horhorta is going to have enough strength left to try and win this battle, everyone." Chapati said as the lacrima-tron showed the Lamia Scale mage get assaulted with ice.

"Oh, someone got transported back." Yajima said as he noticed a light appear in the holding area where wizards inside the arena were sent when they fell unconscious or were beaten in battle.

"'Kin?" Mato whispered, inching closer to the glass window to get a better look.

"I can't believe it! Jura Neekis, one of the Ten Wizard Saints in Fiore, is the first one out of the Games!" Chapati yelled in alarm.

"What in the world happened to him?" Yajima asked.

Jura lay on his back in the holding area. His body spilled blood from two fang-like marks, one on his chest and the other on his stomach. The wounds projected out a purple aura, while his veins and arteries carried the substance through his body, making jagged lines appear just under his skin.

Employees of the Grand Magic Games committee rushed into the holding area with a stretcher, preparing to take the Wizard Saint into the Lamia Scale infirmary.

"Who did this?" Chapati asked, signaling a committee worker to show the footage recorded by the lacrima-camera filming Jura.

"It looks like some kind of creature bit him." Yajima said.

"Are there hidden monsters inside of the arena?" Chapati asked in a voice that excited the audience.

"We didn't put any monsters inside, 'kin." Mato informed, scratching his head.

"Let's show the moment when Jura was confronted." Chapati said, signaling to change the lacrima-tron.

The Earth mage walked in between the trees, admiring the foliage that had been created with magic to serve as a battlefield. With no notice, a long streak of red flitted across the screen, taking Jura with it. The lacrima-camera picked up the sound of the Lamia Scale mage groaning at the impact. A slab of earth shot out of the tree line, barely missing the camera.

All was quiet.

"What was that?" Yajima asked, his eyes widening.

"It took less than a minute to take out, probably, the most skilled wizard on the field." Chapati commented. "Are you sure you didn't put surprise monsters in there, Mato?"

"We definitely did not." Mato answered.

"Is this the work of a competitor?" Chapati asked rhetorically to the audience. "Or did a monster decide to make the arena its home while no one was looking? We'll keep a look out, folks." The lacrima-tron went back to the live action feed. "It seems as though Toby Horhorta has been defeated! Another Lamia Scale team member goes down."

* * *

Chelia nervously walked through the jungle, moving tree branches softly as she went. Every rustle in her surroundings made her jump uneasily. Lyon wasn't her partner this year. She was alone. If the arena were still a city, she'd have no problem walking around. Now though. Now it had to be some dark and creepy jungle with a million places to hide and camouflage.

She became even more high-strung as she spotted a rather large splotch of blood. Whoever this was is probably seriously injured. And whoever did this must have been pretty strong. The bloodstain was smeared at the edge. The person had probably gotten dragged a bit during the struggle.

The Sky God Slayer shivered. Who was out there? Were they watching her, too? Were they waiting for her to walk into their trap?

She stuck close to a tree, inching around its trunk to check her upcoming surroundings. She bumped into something.

Chelia screamed.

* * *

Natsu heard the scream of a female, though he didn't falter in his steps to dodge some snowballs. There was no way Erza would scream like that, especially since the voice was so high-pitched. Was it Lucy? He hoped that she hadn't been found already. She was supposed to stay hidden, damn it!

"I admit, you guys have gotten a bit better since last year." Gray said with a smirk, putting the side of his fist into his other hand.

"Thank you for the compliment, Gray-kun." Hibiki replied, flipping his hair a bit. "Blue Pegasus does have a good training regimen."

"Yeah, well, you're still going to lose." Natsu said, using his Fire Dragon's Claw to kick at Ren.

"Ice Make: Floor!" Gray yelled, slamming his fists into the ground.

"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Natsu said directly afterwards, hitting Eve in the abdomen. The Snow mage slid across the, now, icy jungle floor and ran into Hibiki, knocking the two of them into a tree.

"Eve, Hibiki!" Ren said in surprise as the two flew past him. "Fire can't burn without air." The Air mage made an airless dome around the Fire Dragon Slayer, trapping Natsu inside.

"As if that'll stop him." The Ice Make mage scoffed, sending an ice hammer towards Hibiki.

"White Out!" Eve yelled as his magic covered the area in snow.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu exclaimed, cutting through the white snow with a fiery red magic.

Ren held up his arm in a feeble attempt to block the fire, but the Air mage was blown back, becoming unconscious as he hit the ground. His body glowed yellow as he was transported out of the arena.

"Ice Make: Lance!" Gray chanted. The lances separated into two groups, one heading towards Hibiki and the other going to Eve. Hibiki quickly generated a barrier with his Archive magic and blocked the attack. However, Eve was not so lucky. The Snow mage hit another tree that secured his defeat.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu followed up quickly, aiming for Hibiki's cheek.

"He's going to feel that tomorrow." Gray chuckled; fist bumping with his teammate as they watched the Archive mage get teleported out of the arena, as well.

* * *

"Stop eating my Take-Overs!" Jenny screeched.

"Gi-hee." Gajeel snickered. "Iron Dragon's Roar!"

The Take-Over mage gasped as she was assailed by shards of metal. She quickly transformed once more into a Take-Over with heavier armor as she jumped away from the attack. However, before she could get her bearings, Gajeel hit her with an Iron Dragon's Club at the armor's weak point, knocking Jenny out.

* * *

Mavis had said there would be an eighty-percent possibility that his target would come to this precise location an hour into the battle.

Laxus turned as the tree branches near him rustled slightly. His sharp eyes spotted a short man dressed in a white suit, throwing glitter around his body.

"Ah, Laxus-kun. Not the parfum I was tracking down. You just happened to be between me and my honey." Ichiya declared.

"Right." The Lightning Dragon Slayer said emotionlessly. "Let's just get this over with."

"If you insist." Ichiya said coolly, moving his hands to a different pose. The Trimens Leader hopped a few times before springing into action. He ran up a tree trunk and catapulted off of it once at a good height.

Laxus raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Ichiya spread his legs wide. He flew towards the Fairy Tail mage and slammed his smaller body into Laxus' face, giving the Lightning Dragon Slayer a first hand experience of Blue Pegasus' most masculine man.

Lightning struck down at great intensity. Stray electrical currents ran over the treetops.

* * *

"Oh my," Mirajane said, grinning in amusement.

The other females of the guild sported intense, embarrassed blushes while the males' faces turned as white as a sheet of paper.

"What a bold advance." Freed said in awe.

"We're calling _that_ an 'advance'?" Bickslow asked dryly.

* * *

Chapati coughed uncomfortably before continuing his commentary, "And it looks like that is all she wrote for Blue Pegasus!" Ichiya appeared in the holding area, smoke coming off of his body. "Let's give them a round of applause for coming in fourth place in this year's Grand Magic Games!"

"They have increased one spot since last year, 'kin." Mato informed.

"Yes, congratulations." Yajima said. "Although, their method leaves something to be desired."

* * *

"Shh! Shh!"

A hand covered her mouth as another arm hooked around her waist and brought her body into her captor's. Chelia put her hands on the one over her mouth, frantically trying to pry it off.

"Chelia! Relax!"

Chelia finally looked up, her eyes meeting the black eyes of one of her teammates. Seeing that the girl quit struggling, her captor let her go.

"Lyon! Don't scare me like that!" Chelia admonished.

"You scared me!" Lyon hissed back. "Why'd you scream?"

"Well, you popped out of nowhere! I thought I was about to be attacked." She said.

"What do you mean I popped out of nowhere? I saw you fifty feet back." Lyon informed, crossing his arms. "I came to see if you were doing all right, but I can see you don't need any help." He motioned towards the large bloodstain.

"Oh, that wasn't me." Chelia said softly.

"Then do you know who got attacked or who did this?"

The Sky God Slayer shook her head negatively, "One of the physically stronger wizards probably did this. Whoever this was got dragged a little."

"Let's keep moving then," Lyon said, lightly pushing on the girl's back to get her walking. "This forest is too damn big, I haven't found anyone since we split up at the beginning."

"Me neither." Chelia sighed.

The two of them walked to higher ground. The sounds of a waterfall getting louder the farther they went. They looked around, watching for any potential opponents.

"If we keep going and get unlucky, we'll get cornered at the waterfall." Lyon said, stopping in his tracks.

"We can jump down." Chelia suggested. The Ice Make mage raised an eyebrow. "Well, I guess the rough water currents at the bottom are kind of dangerous." She added with a nervous laugh. "Where should we go, then?"

Before he could answer, a signal-flare shot up into the sky. It was some distance from the duo, probably on the other side of the arena.

"Orga is over there, we don't have to worry about him." Lyon said, shifting his eyes from one direction to another.

"Orga has that card?" Chelia said in surprise. The Ice Make wizard nodded.

"I wonder what card Fairy Tail has." He mumbled. Blue Pegasus didn't have enough points to obtain a card, making that one less worry for the other three guilds. Lyon felt a magic aura grate against his own. "Watch out!" The Ice Make mage tackled Chelia to the ground, narrowly avoiding a stream of fire.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from Gray's elder pupil."

"Erza Scarlet." Lyon said in a low voice, getting up quickly. "Fire won't have much of an effect on me."

Titania re-quipped into her Morning Star Armor, holding two swords in her hands, smiling at her opponents.

"Gray says the same thing." Erza replied just as she pushed off the ball of her foot, going directly towards Lamia Scale's Ice Make mage.

"Sky God's Bellow!" Chelia yelled, sending black air towards the red head.

Erza rerouted her course, landing on her foot and jumping high into the air.

"Ice Make: Eagle!" Lyon said, putting his hands in front of him. Ice eagles appeared out of his hands, flying at high speeds towards Fairy Tail's Titania. Erza put her arms parallel in front of her, her two swords pointing at the oncoming Ice magic.

"Photon Slicer." Erza called. Her swords created a yellow energy ball that released strong magical energy, disintegrating the ice eagles.

"Sky God's Boreas!" Chelia said, casting her spell. Two spiraling black currents moved towards her opponent. The Re-quip mage didn't bat an eye as the attack neared her. Chelia's attack went high into the sky, high enough for the audience in the stadium to see its beauty. "What? Where'd she go?"

Lyon groaned as he felt his skin split open. He made a speedy ice shield to block Erza's third attack on him. Her sword landed on the ice, making shards fly in random directions.

"Ice Make: Snow Tiger!"

Erza released another Photon Slicer attack at the Ice mage, skillfully dodging the snow tiger's claws.

"Snow Dragon," Lyon said next, using his creation to dodge. He felt his skin tingle as his cells regenerated, thanks to Chelia's healing magic.

Change in target. Erza re-quipped into her Black Wing Armor and flew above the snow tiger, dodging Lyon's dragon, as well. She swiftly dove at the Sky God Slayer, raising her sword.

Not taking the attack like a sitting duck, Chelia bellowed at the Re-quip mage. The attack's path was altered, however, when she was hit in the side with rainbow fire. Erza pierced the ground with her sword at great intensity, creating a small crater.

"Great." Lyon hissed, sending his snow tiger into the fray as he stood on the snow dragon. "Ice Make: Ape!"

"This has gotten interesting." Erza said, standing with her legs slightly apart, sword in front of her.

* * *

"Lamia Scale, Fairy Tail, and Sabertooth have found each other!" Chapati yelled in excitement.

"Lamia Scale has the upper hand in numbers." Yajima said.

"But this is Titania." Mato grumbled. "The woman who took down one hundred monsters in one go, 'kin."

"Maybe Fairy Tail has the advantage?" Chapati chuckled.

* * *

"Ice Make: Dragonfly!" Lyon yelled.

Quickly re-quipping into her Flight Armor, Erza dodged the speedy dragonflies. Dobengal was not so lucky as he was hit and sent flying into the air.

Erza used a tree trunk to redirect her path, once again aiming for Lyon. Chelia sent another attack towards the Titania, but it was hastily dodged. The Ice Make mage grunted as he was slammed into a tree, not being able to dodge the quick-footed Fairy Tail wizard.

Dobengal sent a wave of Rainbow Fire at the unassuming Sky God Slayer, sending her away from her partner. Before going after the girl, the Sabertooth wizard sent a shot at the two who were locked in combat. The Rainbow Fire engulfed them.

* * *

"Ow," Chelia groaned as she sat up, holding her head. "Whoa." They were closer to the waterfall than they had originally thought. Chelia got up and walked a few paces forward, standing at the edge of the cliff that housed the waterfall.

Without her notice, a bullet of high-speed water shot out of the lake below, cutting the rock she was standing on. Chelia gasped as she tumbled forward, plunging down into the lake with the rocky earth she was just perching on. She screamed as her body hit the water, getting pulled further under by the waterfall's currents.

The Sky God Slayer opened her eyes in a futile attempt at finding the surface. She was greeted by pointed, glowing yellow eyes in the dark depths of the water.

What was that? Was it going to save her?

The creature swam closer to her, having no problem moving against the undercurrents, while her body was yanked in all different directions. She realized that the water was getting brighter, the sunlight able to penetrate the surface. The torrent stopped. Chelia quickly righted her body, putting her head closest to the sunlight and what she thought was the surface. She looked around underwater.

Did she imagine those eyes?

A shimmer of silver caught her eye. It was a long, snake-like body that swam easily through the water. Her eyes widened. Snakes weren't five feet thick. Chelia turned as she felt eyes on her back. The yellow eyes appeared once more, this time, accompanied by multiple rows of sharp teeth – similar to a shark.

Kicking frantically, Chelia used her God Slayer's Secret Art: Heavenly Gathering of Clouds spell. The magic spiraled towards the monster. It easily dodged the attack by swiftly swimming through the water, coming up behind her once more. Before she could turn back around, she felt the teeth gnaw at her side.

Chelia's remaining breath left her body as she screamed underwater.

* * *

Orga huffed in agitation. Rather than bringing opponents to him, the signal-flare was warning them to stay away. He hadn't found a single person yet! Still grumbling, the Lightning God Slayer heard the signal go off once more.

At last, he heard the tree branches near him shuffle. Someone finally wanted to fight! Orga waited anxiously for this unfortunate soul to attack first.

All was quiet.

He raised a confused eyebrow as he stepped forward. Something hissed in front of him, as he got closer. Large, grey slit eyes suddenly appeared right in front of him, making Orga take a step back.

"What the hell?" Orga said, lighting his fists with lightning. "Show yourself!" The leaves rustled loudly as the monster moved. The Lightning God Slayer could hardly see the quick movements.

His body went head first into the creature's mouth. His vision spun as if he was intoxicated. Before he knew it, his world went black.

* * *

Where did that girl go?

Dobengal looked vigilantly as he made it out of the trees. Beside him was a fast paced waterfall. He noticed that a portion of the cliff was jagged, like something had recently broken off.

Did she fall down?

Carefully, the Sabertooth mage stepped up to the edge, looking below. Red liquid was mixing with the lake at the end of the waterfall, spreading out like watercolor paints. He quickly found a safer way down, using the rocky cliff as steps. He hoped she wasn't too injured. That must've been a nasty fall.

"Girl?!" Dobengal called. "Um… Chelia?" That was her name, right? He hopped off of the cliff wall and hurriedly went to the water's edge. "You're not still down there, are you? Chelia!"

The red liquid continued to spread out thinly.

Just as he adjusted his clothing to swim down and inspect the water, a shadow inside the lake caught his attention.

"Chelia?" Dobengal called once more, kneeling beside the lake to get as close as possible. The shadow got closer to the surface, its body emerging from the water and standing tall. "What the hell is that!?" He gasped, falling back.

A large, serpent like creature stood before him. Its scales were a silvery color that reflected the sunlight, while its glowing yellow eyes glared at him from above. Under the water's surface, the monster's tail moved, appearing a few feet away from the body.

Dobengal scrambled to get up. What did it want? It was just floating in the water and staring.

Its tail was like a sharp snake's tail as it waved back and forth. The creature pushed more of its tail out of the water before slamming it down, creating a large tidal wave that extended high into the air.

The Sabertooth mage covered his face with his arm, while keeping an eye on the thing. The water that was pushed out of the lake turned into little water droplets; like rain. He dropped his arm, watching the creature carefully.

The monster started to disappear. The silver scales diminishing and reappearing a couple times before vanishing all together. Dobengal looked around frantically before deciding to run further inland.

If it was a water creature, it probably couldn't go on land, right?

* * *

"What is going on?" Chapati yelled as panic rose in his voice.

A bloody Chelia Blendy had been teleported into the holding area. Multiple rows of jagged teeth marks created half circles on both sides of her body.

Shortly afterwards, Orga Nanagear's body got teleported out of the arena. His body had two fang marks just under his lungs on his back that leaked a poisonous miasma.

"Are you positive you didn't put a monster in there?" Yajima asked quietly to the Games' mascot beside him.

"There were no monsters commissioned to enter the arena with the participants." Mato said nervously. "I don't know what is in there."

"Should we take them out?" Yajima asked. "Or is it the work of a competitor?"

"It's Dobengal!" Chapati yelled suddenly as a third body got teleported into the holding area within the last five minutes. The lacrima-tron switched cameras as Dobengal's defeat by the monster was finished. "There seems to be two monsters in the arena, which have taken out four of the competitors within minutes of encounter!"

"Who's that?" Mato asked abruptly when a camera was picked to show its live footage.

"It's Lucy Heartfilia!" Chapati exclaimed. "Looks like Fairy Tail has a sixth player on the field!"

"Can she summon these monsters?" Yajima asked. "I have never seen Celestial Spirits like these."

On screen, Lucy was seen with her hood down, talking to Yukino as the two Celestial mages summoned two Zodiac Spirits each.

"Both of these Celestial mages have stated in interviews that they can summon two gates comfortably. Any more is putting a strain on their magic and it can become quite dangerous." Chapati said, looking over some files. "Though these interviews were from last year's Games, it was also stated that increasing how many gates they can open is very difficult to train for."

"It has never been recorded in the Magic Council's history that a Celestial mage has summoned more than three Spirits at one time." Yajima informed.

"I don't believe Yukino summoned them, 'kin." Mato added. "Both monsters went after her team."

"So what you're saying is that Lucy is unlikely the summoner, but is _more_ likely to be if these monsters were to belong to anyone?" Chapati asked, clearing things up for the audience.

"Correct." Yajima said with a nod.

"Heartfilia summoning four Celestial Spirits at once seems a bit farfetched, 'kin." Mato commented.

"Then where did these things come from?" Chapati asked, evaluating the events on the screen. The lacrima-tron suddenly changed, showing a different mage.

"Is it going to take out everyone!?" Yajima yelled in alarm, his surprise casting aside his normally quiet, easy-going persona. Mato hopped out of his seat, going out of the announcer's booth to meet up with the rest of the Grand Magic Games committee.

"One of the monsters has gone after Fairy Tail's Gray Fullbuster!" Chapati announced.


	28. And The Winner Is…

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Eight: And The Winner Is…

* * *

… _Fairy Tail's Tactical Meeting…_

* * *

" _Let's get to work!" Mavis said excitedly, sitting down on a tall bar stool. "First, Lucy, tell us about the spell you used in the arena. The opposing teams have already seen it, so there is a good chance they will be anticipating it."_

" _Yeah! You used Dragon Slayer magic!" Natsu said excitedly._

" _Draconis is the spell linked with Draco, the Celestial Spirit of the Dragon. It allows me to use any Dragon Slayer magic as long as I have a link to the person who wields the magic." Lucy informed._

" _A link?" Mavis asked._

" _The description of the spell was pretty vague when I learned it." Lucy said sheepishly. "I was using our link through guild membership as a connection."_

" _How about the spell you used on me?" Gray asked suddenly, cutting in before anyone else had the chance to talk. "From what I've heard, Wendy's and Porlyusica's magic couldn't heal me, but you did it in a few minutes."_

" _Celestial Spirits are immortal for a reason." The Celestial mage giggled. "Capricorni, the spell linked with Capricorn. Though it has its limits, the spell is still pretty powerful but delicate enough to work on almost any injury."_

" _Amazing." Mavis drawled out softly._

 _A silence presented itself as the wizards took in the information._

" _What are your calculations, this year, First?" Erza asked, getting the conversation going once more._

" _Hm…" Mavis hummed, staring at the six young wizards. "Let's plan things around Lucy so she has the best chance of staying hidden until the she can strike. You have a concealing cloak, don't you?"_

" _I do." Lucy replied, re-quipping the cloak into her hands._

" _Great." Mavis said happily. "And how many gates can you open at once?"_

" _Hm…" Lucy hummed in thought. "Around four?"_

" _Four?" Natsu asked, stunned._

" _You don't sound very sure, bunny girl." Gajeel noticed._

" _Think of Celestial Keys as having levels and tiers." Lucy started to explain. "A level one key would be silver, because they take up the least amount of magic compared to the other types. But even though all silver keys are level one keys, there are tiers in each level that ranks them."_

" _What does that mean?" Gray asked._

" _Not all silver keys use the same amount of magic." The Celestial mage replied. "Plue's key uses less magic than Horologium's key. But, still, the strongest silver key uses less magic than the weakest level-two key."_

" _I see." Mavis said softly, intrigued. "And level two is…?"_

" _Beast Keys. Also known as the Hidden Keys in Earth Land." Lucy answered._

" _Your new ones?" Natsu asked._

" _Right."_

" _They are not stronger than Zodiac Keys?" Erza asked with a raised eyebrow._

" _In terms of raw power, no." The Celestial mage said with a shake of her head. "But they're used in different situations. Beast Keys use less magic to open because the Beasts specialize in group-attacks, the more gates that can be opened the better. Zodiacs are more likely to fight one-on-one or smaller groups."_

" _You're magic has gotten way more complicated." Gajeel complained._

" _Sorry," Lucy giggled slightly. "You asked."_

" _So around four gates is your limit." Mavis mumbled, calculating a plan. "You can perform caster-type spells now, can't you? With four gates opened, how many spells can you activate?"_

"… _Zero." Lucy said slowly._

 _At the side of the table, Laxus sighed in discontent. This was going to take a while._

" _Why none?" The Ice Make mage questioned._

" _The spells I used are linked to a specific Spirit." Lucy started to say. "Each spell uses half the amount of magic it takes to open the gate of the Spirit that it's connected to. So, if I open the maximum amount of gates, I won't have enough magic to use spells."_

" _I see." Mavis said in thought. "Are these Beasts… deadly?"_

" _Only if I tell them to be." Lucy said slowly with confusion._

" _Got any that can pick off opponents in the arena?" Laxus asked. "Something you can set loose."_

" _Preferably something quick or that can hide so no one will know what hit them." Gajeel said with a smirk. "Something that'll hit hard."_

" _So you want something that looks like a monster and acts like a monster." Lucy said softly, summoning the ten black Beast Keys in her possession onto the table._

" _We're not trying to demean them." Mavis corrected hastily._

" _It's okay." Lucy reassured with a soft smile. "They've been bugging me to let them come down and_ play _with the_ humans. _"_

" _You said that so innocently." Natsu mumbled._

" _Is it safe?" Erza asked, concerned._

" _Of course." The Celestial mage said, offended. "They're not cold-blooded killers…. Unless I tell them to be."_

" _Great." Gray replied uneasily._

" _How many should we put in?" Erza asked, turning to First Master for her calculations._

* * *

…

* * *

A sword made of ice clashed with another that was made of steel. The ice sword easily shattered, allowing the steel sword to come in contact with its holder.

"Not as sturdily made as you had hoped."

"I don't specialize in static objects." Lyon hissed, jumping away and pointing his palm at the woman. Ice eagles flew towards her.

The two of them were bloodied, but not enough to be too hindered during the fight. They tried to catch their breaths after the long fought battle.

"Shall we end this?" Erza asked in an even tone, re-quipping into her fighting outfit – red pants and white bindings around her chest. In her hands were two simple swords. She will not fail her guild mates.

"Let's go, Titania." Lyon said, ice vapors misting out of his hands. He couldn't afford to lose.

Erza took a step forward, running with her swords at the ready.

Lyon put his hands together, summoning a wolf that came out of his arm.

* * *

"Lucy-sama?!" Yukino gasped as she spotted a white-cloaked figure sitting on a tree branch. She hadn't felt the presence of her friend at all when she walked through the area.

"Oh, you found me." Lucy replied nonchalantly, hopping down and letting her hood fall.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I'm Fairy Tail's Hidden Player. Though I haven't done much." The blonde said with a sigh.

"I see." Yukino said softly. "I guess this means we should battle." She took out Libra and Pisces' keys, holding them in her right hand.

"You don't want to do this, Yukino." Lucy advised, re-quipping two of her Zodiac Keys into her hand.

"You believe I'm going to lose?" The Sabertooth wizard asked. "Open, Libra, Pisces." Two golden magic circles appeared, one next to the mage and the other in the air.

"Not that you're going to lose." Lucy replied, summoning her keys as well. "Virgo, Aries!"

"Princess." Virgo greeted with a bow.

"I'll try my best, I'm sorry." Aries said.

"It's that you can't beat me with your magic." Lucy said seriously.

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Lucy-sama." Yukino said with a raised eyebrow.

"Libra and Pisces won't fight me. _Can't_ fight me." The blonde replied, staring at the two opposing Celestial Spirits. "It's against your contract, now."

"Now?" Yukino asked. "Libra? Pisces?"

"We're sorry, Yukino." Libra replied, standing uncomfortably. "We cannot hurt Lucy."

"Pisces, Libra, take a break." Lucy commanded. The Spirits of the Balance and Fishes' eyes glowed gold before they bowed slightly and went back home.

"Did you just control my Spirits?" Yukino gasped.

"Sorry, Yukino." Lucy apologized. "I'll explain later. For now, I'll make a deal with you."

"All right." The white haired wizard said uneasily, biting her bottom lip. She stood alone.

"I'll fight you without Celestial magic." Lucy compromised, nodding towards Virgo and Aries to dismiss them from their duties.

"Doesn't look like I have many options, Lucy-sama." Yukino replied, getting into a fighting stance.

"Good point."

* * *

Gray walked around with little caution. At this point, he was sure the others did their assigned jobs. There probably weren't many opponents left. During the tactical meeting a few days ago, Mavis had given them instructions only to a certain point during the Games. It became impossible, even for her, to calculate accurate numbers with so many variables. If her calculations thus far were correct, Blue Pegasus would be out of the picture, with Lamia Scale in a close second.

Of course, Lucy's magic was a huge variable, as well.

Gray yelled in pain, falling to his knees while his hands clutched his right side. He looked up. A red snake tail disappeared into the shadows of the trees. He didn't even sense that coming! It moved so quickly.

Gray put ice over the jagged wound. His skin was torn up from the rough scales on the creature that scraped against him, leaving serrated lines and a random pattern. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself up to his feet.

What the hell was that?!

The tree branches shifted with the breeze, allowing the sun to illuminate other areas briefly. He paused his scan of the area when something new was irradiated. Gray painfully walked over to one of the tree trunks. It had fresh blood smeared onto it. He touched it to make sure it was still wet. Yeah, it was probably his blood. Looking to the right, where he saw the tail disappear, he saw another bloody mark on another tree.

Was it leading him somewhere?

* * *

Yuka sighed as he walked along the river. Maybe the Game's Committee made the arena too big? He hadn't run into anyone!

"Hey!"

He stood corrected. Yuka turned to the side to see who had called him. A man with pink hair grinned cheekily at him.

"Oh, it's you." Yuka replied, getting into a fighting stance.

"Long time no see!" Natsu said happily. "How've you been?"

"Fine." Yuka said slowly.

"Looks like you want to battle." The Fire Dragon Slayer noticed. "All right! I'm all fired up!"

The Wave magic user scratched his head in confusion. Did this guy think that they were teleported into a jungle for a picnic?

"Well, that's sort of the poi-"

"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flames!"

"Ah! Hey!" Yuka yelled angrily, surrounding himself quickly with a Wave shield to dispel the magic.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

"Don't you remember? Magic doesn't work on me." Yuka huffed, making another shield.

"Huh?" Natsu questioned, backing off. "But didn't I beat you last time at that one island?"

"That was almost eight years ago!" Yuka screeched in surprise.

"Oh right." The Fire Dragon Slayer drawled out in realization. He was frozen in time for seven years. "I'll just beat you again!" Natsu chuckled, roaring towards his opponent.

"Jeez," Yuka sighed, making another barrier. When the fire died down, Natsu was nowhere to be seen. "What the-?"

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu exclaimed from behind the Wave mage. Just as Yuka put up another barrier, a fist came flying towards his face.

* * *

"And Yuka Suzuki is out!" Chapati shouted. A red light lit up the holding area as a woman stepped out from the battle stadium's entrance. "What's this? It seems like Yuka had a hidden card attached to him. It's Sherry Blendy, coming onto the field!"

"Yuka must have had the Extra Life Card placed onto him." Yajima said in understanding.

"That is correct, Yajima-san." Chapati informed. "Sherry Blendy had left the guild last year to marry Ren Akatsuki of Blue Pegasus, but has since returned to take a few jobs, making her a legible substitute for the Games."

"This year is very interesting, 'kin!" Mato said happily, having come back from the emergency meeting with news that they were not withdrawing the contestants.

"It certainly is, Mato-san." Chapati said. "Sherry will now be teleported into the arena in a random location. Good luck out there."

* * *

A shadowy splotch raced across the jungle floor, quickly followed by an electrical sphere. The electricity jammed into the ground, barely missing its target. The shadow jumped out of the ground and fired off a beam of shadow magic. Without missing a beat, the electric ball ducked and rammed into the shadowy figure, jumping so both of them were in the air.

"Shadow Dragon's Slash!" Rogue yelled, punching at his opponent with an arm covered in shadows.

"Hmph," Laxus harrumphed, easily dodging mid air and sending back a fist full of lightning.

The two fell to the ground in a cloud of smoke. The sound of toppling trees alerted the audience that heavy damage had occurred in the arena. A shadow entity emerged from the dust, heading directly towards the sky, a lightning ball following a little behind.

"Shadow Dragon's Roar!" Rogue yelled, expelling large bursts of shadows from his mouth. He aimed downwards.

"Lightning Dragon's Roar!" Laxus called out, shooting electricity from his own mouth. He aimed upwards.

Gravity forced the two back to the ground, making the shadow streams feel stronger.

"Shadow Dragon's Waxwing Flash." Rogue said in a monotone voice as he turned back into his shadow self. He wrapped his body around Laxus, assaulting the Fairy Tail mage with bursts of shadow magic.

"Raging Bolt."

A large lightning strike fell upon them.

The area around the fighting duo was in shambles. Trees were fallen over, the earth was ripped apart, and stray currents of magic sparked in random areas.

Rogue jumped away, his body slightly sparked with stray electricity currents. He wiped at a cut on his cheek, smearing blood onto the back of his hand.

"Shadow Drive."

"As if that's going to save you." Laxus scoffed, putting his two hands above his head to create a sphere of electricity. "If you can't beat Gajeel, you've got a long way to go before you can beat me, kid."

"We'll see." Rogue replied. He tried to keep his breathing steady. His lungs burned from the fast pace, his heart beating rapidly. Laxus seemed unaffected.

"Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd,"

"Shadow Dragon's Curse." Rogue said in a low voice. The electric halberd shot it's way towards him. In the last seconds before impact, Rogue's body turned into a shadow. The attack disappeared.

Laxus grunted as he felt something hit him in the back. He saw the familiar magic collide against him, paralyzing his body for just a few seconds. His own attack had appeared in his shadow. The Lightning Dragon Slayer gritted his teeth.

"Slayers can eat their element, but they can't eat their own magic." Rogue stated, turning his body back into its solid form.

"Not bad, kid." Laxus said, swiping at electricity currents.

* * *

Lucy huffed as she landed a kick into Yukino's side, making the white hair girl falter.

"You've gotten better, Lucy-sama." Yukino complimented as she tried to catch her breath.

"Thanks," Lucy replied, sending another kick Yukino's way. "So have you."

The Sabertooth mage grabbed the foot and tugged forward to hold it more firmly. Lucy used the movement to her advantage, hopping off of the ground and kicking with the other foot. Both of their balances became off center, making the two tumble to the ground.

Yukino rolled her body over, getting on top of Lucy and straddling the blonde's waist. Lucy turned her head to the side as Yukino sent a punch her way, hitting the solid ground instead.

* * *

"That's kind of hot." Macao thought out loud, gaining a nod of approval from Wakaba.

Romeo put his hand to his face, shaking his head in disappointment.

* * *

Lucy had her hands holding off Yukino's fists. The two struggled to overpower the other.

The Fairy Tail mage rolled to the side, taking her friend with her. Yukino landed on the ground, air getting knocked out of her lungs. The white haired mage flipped them back over without a moment's hesitation. This went on for a few more minutes before Lucy managed to get her legs tucked against her body, placing her feet on Yukino's stomach and flipped the Sabertooth mage over her head.

Lucy quickly rolled herself over, getting back to her feet. Yukino managed to get up to her hands and knees before both Celestial wizards turned their heads to the east. They jumped back as a large tree branch collided with the ground they were just standing on. Skidding on the balls of their feet, the two of them looked wearily into the cloud of dust.

"It's pretty unfortunate for you girls that I ran into you."

"Sherry?" Lucy whispered with a raised eyebrow.

"And you! How am I suppose to hate you if you keep doing these disappearing acts?" Sherry complained to the blonde. The dust settled, showing the pink haired wizard sitting on top of her wood doll.

"Sorry," Lucy replied sheepishly. Yukino looked on in confusion. "What are you doing here, anyways?"

"I'm the Extra Life." Sherry said with a smug smile. "Mud Doll!" The earth shook as a creature appeared from the ground, swiping mud at the two Celestial mages.

"Open, Gate of the-" Yukino started to say, key in hand.

"If you open that, we're both in trouble." Lucy interrupted, dodging a punch from the mud doll. "She controls everything that's not human. Celestial Spirits included."

"It's just not my day, I guess." Yukino mumbled to herself, putting the key away, ducking while she did so.

"So you can control two dolls now?" Lucy yelled up to Sherry.

"I can do more than that, little Lucy." Sherry replied, summoning up a rock doll.

"Shouldn't have asked." The Fairy Tail mage grumbled.

"It's unfortunate that there are so many materials in the jungle." Yukino said, jumping back to avoid another hit.

"We're not getting anywhere." Lucy sighed, charging up her magic. She jumped further away, unfortunately, leaving Yukino to deal with the dolls. Lucy drew a constellation that looked like a stick with two legs on both sides. "Leporis." She said, activating the spell. Her right eye glowed black.

As quick as lightning, Lucy went back into the battle, now easily dodging the attacks from the dolls.

"Lucy-sama?" Yukino gasped as the blonde sped passed her. "Eep!" She gasped, narrowly dodging mud that was thrown her way.

Lucy hopped onto the wood doll's arm, getting right into Sherry's personal bubble.

"Since when did you get Speed magic?" Sherry asked, stepping back.

"Since now," Lucy replied, sticking out her tongue playfully before tackling Sherry. The two of them rolled down the wood doll's body. "Ow!"

"You're one to talk!" Sherry complained, getting up and brushing the leaves off of her body. "Wood doll, mud doll, finish her!"

* * *

"Being the last one remaining from her guild, will Sherry Blendy be able to pull through and defeat Fairy Tail _and_ Sabertooth to earn Lamia Scale the win?" Chapati asked the audience.

"It is highly unlikely, however if she tries hard enough and the others take each other out, it might be possible." Yajima commented.

"Fairy Tail still has all five main players and a sixth member on the field, 'kin." Mato said. "And the last three Sabertooth members are no push overs."

"With Lyon's defeat against Erza, it does not look good for Lamia Scale." Chapati agreed.

"However Sherry does have a favorable match up against Fairy Tail and Sabertooth's Celestial mages." Yajima added. "But favorable does not mean much."

"We'll keep you updated on the battle between those three lovely ladies." Chapati announced as the screen changed.

"Where did those monsters go, 'kin?" Mato asked.

"Yes, where did they go?" Chapati asked rhetorically. "One attacked Gray and left in a hurry."

"I believe we spoke too soon." Yajima informed, pointing at the screen.

* * *

Gray hid behind a tree that was smeared with his blood. A few yards ahead of him was an opponent he was itching to have a rematch with.

Rufus Lore.

The Ice Make mage put a bit more ice over his injury before sending magic towards the Sabertooth wizard.

Rufus hardly looked as he dodged the attack, swiftly stepping to the side and looking towards the trees.

"Gray, I see we meet again." The Memory Make mage said coolly.

"I guess you can say a little birdie told me where you were." The Ice Make mage replied, coming out of the shadows of the trees.

"Shall we get started?" Rufus asked. "Memory Make: Karma of the Burning Land."

"Ice Make-"

"Forget." Rufus cut in. The ground beneath them cracked and sputtered hot lava from the depths of the earth.

Gray scoffed, his spell erased from his memory. Lava licked at his skin, making the cells turn red. The ice around his wounds began to melt. The Ice Make mage decided to jump back into the branches of a tree. No sooner than he did, the tree caught fire. He jumped onto another tree's branch. Without thinking about it, he combined his spells together, casting other spells in rapid succession.

Four ice cannons appear behind Rufus, each loaded with a few ice swords each. In Gray's hand appeared a bow and arrow made of ice, though the arrow looked more like a long spear.

"Dodge this." Gray challenged, shooting off all of his ice weapons.

"Gladly," Rufus replied. The weapons pierced his body. Rufus was now fading away. "Memory Make: Afterimage. Good aim, hitting the memory of my standing in that spot."

"As aggravating to fight as ever, Rufus." Gray said, jumping off of the tree as that, too, caught aflame. "You plan on making a forest fire or are you going to put it out?" The Ice Make mage slowly put his hand to his injured side, feeling warm blood trickle in between his fingers. The ice sealing the wound had completely melted.

The fire suddenly stopped raging, all of it getting pulled into one direction. The two battling wizards looked over.

"Thanks for the meal."

* * *

"Son of a- fuck!" Gajeel yelled as he clutched the side of his abdomen in pain, falling to one knee. "What the hell was that?" He looked up. The thing that had attacked him was already gone. "God damn it," Gajeel hissed as he took his hands off of the fresh wound and eyed the tattered skin.

The Iron Dragon Slayer looked up once more, seeing the blood splattered on a tree trunk. One sniff confirmed that it was his. Gritting his teeth, Gajeel got up and trudged forward. To the side, he saw another tree marked with his blood. He smelled another blood mixing in with his.

Gray.

"If this is bunny girl's pet, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind when we get out of here." Gajeel growled, lifted his upper lip to show a fang.

He didn't like it, but he followed the trail of bloody tree trunks anyways.

Soon, he could hear the sounds of a battle. He didn't need to see them to know who it was. Electricity bounced along the leaves, the shadows of the trees distorted from side to side. Gajeel got closer.

He supposed that monster wasn't so bad. Led him directly to a spot where Gajeel could take a good shot at Rogue Cheney. The Iron Dragon Slayer smirked.

"Iron Dragon's Roar!" Gajeel yelled. Shards of metal flew at the Shadow Dragon Slayer, embedding into his body. Rogue grunted out in surprise, getting pushed back by the attack.

"Lightning Dragon's Roar!" Laxus yelled, not letting the Sabertooth mage get his bearings. Lightning ran over their opponent.

Behind each Fairy Tail wizard, the shadows around the two started moving. Quickly, the shadows wrapped around them. Like a thick band of rope, the shadows squeezed their bodies.

"Gi-hee." Gajeel chuckled, summoning his magic to change forms, Iron Shadow Dragon Mode. He started eating at the tightening band. "Thanks for the meal."

Laxus rolled his eyes at his teammate. Fairy Tail _really_ did not need another Natsu Dragneel. The Lightning Dragon Slayer turned his body into electricity, easily slipping out of the trap.

Rogue got up from his crouched position, wiping the blood dripping from his mouth with his sleeve. He wondered who was left. If he couldn't beat Natsu and Gajeel, and Natsu and Gajeel couldn't beat Laxus, did he have a chance? Were the Grand Magic Games that serious?

No, the Games weren't that serious. Not like last year. But he'd try his damnedest to give Sabertooth a good reputation.

The three of them stared at each other.

Laxus made the first move, rushing at his opponent, fists raised. He and Rogue locked in combat. Laxus kicked, Rogue ducked under the leg, landing a punch in the Lightning Dragon Slayer's stomach. Laxus stepped back. Ignoring the pain in his gut, Laxus launched another fist at Rogue, nailing the Shadow Dragon Slayer in the jaw.

Gajeel stood to the side, impatiently waiting for the Laxus to create an opening. He saw a small opportunity when Rogue stumbled back. Eh, good enough. The Iron Shadow Dragon Slayer lunged forward, right arm raised as it transformed.

"Iron Dragon's Sword!" Gajeel cackled evilly. The chainsaw-like sword started whirring.

Rogue saw the sword coming, only having enough time to dodge it messily, not creating enough distance between him and Laxus.

"Lightning Dragon's Secret Arts: Roaring Thunder!" Laxus growled, sending a fist encased with a huge amount of lightning towards the Sabertooth mage.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer fell to the ground heavily, his body pulsing with electricity.

* * *

Three girls hastily tried to attack each other. One sending a fist one way, one sending a kick the other, and another put her hands in front of her and started to slap the air up and down. After furious movements, the girls took a break, putting their hands on their knees to catch their breaths.

"This… Is getting… Us nowhere." Lucy panted, standing straight again, but her breathing was still labored.

"I agree." Yukino breathed, her hands still on her knees.

"Let's just say I win because I'm the prettiest, okay?" Sherry suggested, moving to lean on a tree.

"No way!" Lucy complained.

"That wasn't very nice." Yukino whispered before straightening herself.

"Well, look who has a husband." Sherry taunted playfully.

"That wasn't what I meant," Lucy corrected. "I'm not letting you win. But what does having a husband have anything to do with being pretty?!"

The white haired wizard brushed her bangs to the side. These two must've been good friends, if their bantering meant anything. Yukino put a finger to her chin, thinking. As a Celestial wizard, she held the gateway between Earth Land and the Celestial World, allowing her to call upon her friends to help in battle. However, Sherry's magic allowed the woman to control non-human beings, which, unfortunately, included Celestial Spirits. Plus, Lucy's new, whatever it was, permitted the blonde to control _other_ Spirits other than the gates Lucy had in her possession. _And_ it was now against contract for the Celestial Spirits to attack the Fairy Tail girl.

Hm… Yukino knew she was at a pretty big disadvantage. She hoped she wasn't the last one from her team.

"Oh yeah?!" Lucy yelled.

The Sabertooth mage looked over. Oh, they were still quarreling.

"Yeah!" Sherry yelled back. "Wood doll!"

"Then take this!" Lucy huffed, unlatching her whip from the buckle on the side of her dress. She expertly wound the weapon around one of the wood doll's legs and pulled.

Yukino blinked as she saw the creature's face contort into confusion and then shock. Without realizing it, the large wood doll fell forward, directly into the path of the white haired girl.

Yukino's eyes widened as she screeched in surprise. The wood monster's collision with the earth sent Yukino flying backwards, knocking into Lucy.

"Ahh!" Sherry screamed next as her wood doll flattened her to the ground.

"Ow!" Lucy cried as her and Yukino slammed into a tree. Dizzily, the two of them slid to the ground, out for the count.

* * *

"That was… A rather cute performance by those three girls." Chapati said as Sherry, Yukino, and Lucy were teleported into the holding area. "But with Sherry out of the match, it looks like that's the end of the line for her guild. Like the year before, Lamia Scale places third in the Grand Magic Games!"

"Congratulations," Yajima said.

"Yes, congrats, 'kin!" Mato cheered.

"Lucy Heartfilia is the first Fairy Tail wizard to be knocked out of the Games, but Sabertooth still has an uphill battle if they want to win." Chapati reminded. "With Yukino out, as well, Sabertooth only has Rufus Lore left in the arena. Will the Memory Make wizard pull through and defeat all five _main_ team members of Fairy Tail?"

"Lucy was the hidden player, wasn't she?" Yajima commented.

"That is correct, Yajima-san." Chapati confirmed.

"Both of the summoners are unconscious, 'kin." Mato said worriedly as the camera changed views to show a silvery serpent relaxing in the lake. "But those monsters are still in there."

"Does that mean that those monsters don't belong to either of them?" Chapati asked.

"It is possible to keep a creature in this dimension while the summoner is unconscious." Yajima informed. "If the wizard is skilled and has enough magic."

"It doesn't look like this one is interested in the Games any longer." Chapati said with a light chuckle.

"However the other one is still missing after attacking Gajeel." Yajima sighed.

"We'll see if we can find it with one of our lacrima-cameras, ladies and gentlemen." Chapati announced before the screen shifted to show the only remaining Sabertooth wizard going up against Fairy Tail.

* * *

"I'm all fired up!" Natsu yelled, jumping out of the trees.

"Don't just barge into my battle, slanty eyes!" Gray complained.

"I smelled food, so I came here! But it didn't look like you were doing a good job anyways, droopy eyes!" The Fire Dragon Slayer growled back. The two pushed their foreheads together.

"It seems I have been forgotten." Rufus sighed, gracefully fixing his hat. A barrage of swords shot out of the trees, aiming towards the two fighting Fairy Tail wizards with Rufus in between. The Memory Make wizard's body, once again, started to disappear as the real mage appeared leaning against a tree away from the screaming Natsu and Gray. "Ah, Erza Scarlet, so nice of you to join us."

"Feelings mutual." The Re-quip mage replied, walking out of the shadows with a glare towards her comrades.

"We weren't fighting!" Natsu said, putting his arm around the Ice Make mage.

"We were discussing a battle strategy!" Gray yelled happily, dancing with the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Three against one is hardly fair, don't you think?" Rufus asked suavely, trying to get out of the situation.

"Agreed." Erza said with a shrug. "Choose who you wish to battle."

"That's not fair! I got to him first!" Gray complained, but was shot down with a simple scowl from the red head.

"No, it is quite all right. I do wish for a rematch with him." Rufus said, simmering Erza's glower. "Shall we?"

"Oh, we shall." Gray said with a smirk, his hands glowing with magic. Natsu pouted by a tree, crossing his arms.

The two of them traded spells for the next half an hour. When Gray got tired of the stall, he charged forward and punched Rufus on the cheek. The Memory Make wizard retaliated. Though he didn't look it, Rufus was skilled in combat.

Natsu sighed. He and Erza stood by each other, whispering about the on goings they've seen or done inside of the arena. It seemed as though the Games were almost over. Neither of them had seen much of the other competitors in the past hour.

"Hm?" Natsu hummed, looking over his shoulder.

"Something there?" Erza questioned, getting into a battle stance.

"I thought I heard – Ah!" Natsu yelled, falling onto his butt as a snake-like body shot out of the leaves.

The large snake-like creature stood menacingly just behind Gray. Now that it stayed in one place, the wizards got a good look at the monster. The snake was easily as big as Yukino's Celestial Spirit, Ophiuchus. Instead of a mechanical snake, this one looked like a red version of a Rough Scaled Bush Viper.

Gray touched his side. That was why the wound he got from this thing looked so nasty. Those scales looked as though they were little daggers!

However, what really made this creature a _beast_ were the dragon-like wings it had on the upper part of its body. With the combined speed of a snake and the flight of a dragon, it was no wonder that it moved so quickly throughout the arena.

It opened its mouth and hissed, showing off lengthy fangs dripping with a purple substance. The monster hissed once more, shooting off a stream of the purple liquid at Rufus. The Sabertooth mage quickly dodged, putting his finger to his temple to memorize the spell.

"Memorize-…" Rufus started to say, but paused as his magic was stunted.

* * *

…

* * *

" _Do you think you have an advantage over anyone, Lucy?" Mavis asked._

" _Yukino, for sure." Lucy replied before humming in thought. "Rufus, maybe?"_

" _Rufus?" Gray questioned._

" _Well it's prohibited to 'copy' any of the Hidden Celestial Spells or spells used by the Hidden Spirits." Lucy answered._

" _Prohibited by who?" Natsu inquired next._

" _Nature, I guess. As long as a star is shining, their laws will apply to those who are bathed in their light." Lucy informed. "At least, that's what the Spirit King told me. Loke said that those who don't have permission to use them or the guidance to control them wouldn't be able to understand the spell. They're make up is very intricate, with hidden spells written within the main one."_

" _So, in a way, the complexity is nature's way of warding off any wizards who use a 'copy' type magic." Erza said in understanding. Lucy nodded in confirmation._

" _And what of Yukino?" Mavis questioned._

" _The other Spirits can't attack me unless they want to be banished out of the Spirit World. Yukino's magic is null against me, plus I can control her Spirits as long as I don't make them attack their owner."_

" _Why's that, bunny girl?" Gajeel questioned._

" _I'll tell you guys when we get home." Lucy started. "But think of it like a story. The hero or heroine wouldn't get killed by their comrades, or else who'll save them?"_

* * *

…

* * *

"Ice Make: Saucer!" Gray yelled, seeing his opponent distracted. The saucer hit Rufus in the chest, sending him into a burnt tree, which easily collapsed at the impact.

Without command, the snake slammed its tail into the Memory Make wizard to ensure the fight was over.

* * *

"Rufus Lore is out!" Chapati yelled, standing up in his seat. "Fairy Tail is the last one standing in the arena! Fairy Tail is the winner of the X792's Grand Magic Games!"

* * *

 **A/N: I think it would be fun to see random FT characters practice fight. Like, Gray versus Lucy, or Lisanna versus Freed - like her sister. Oh! Nab versus Vijeeter! Who'd you like to see practice fight/spar?**


	29. After Party

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Nine: After Party

* * *

Team Fairy Tail crowded inside the infirmary, patiently allowing Porlyusica and Wendy to poke and prod at their wounds. Lucy sat on the edge of the spare bed, grinning cheekily. The two healers silently worked, looking everyone over.

Once Natsu was done with his check up, he sat beside Lucy on the bed. She didn't seem too injured. He sighed in relief.

"Lucy, you all right?" The Fire Dragon Slayer asked softly.

"Yeah, the three of us were more dizzy than anything else." The Celestial wizard said sheepishly, rubbing the bump on her head.

"You did take quite a hit, Lucy-san." Wendy said, finishing up with Erza and walking over.

"Are you dizzy now?" Natsu asked anxiously. "Can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?"

"You're not even holding up your hand, stupid." Gray chastised.

"Whom did you run into?" Erza asked, coming over as well and putting a hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"Yukino and Sherry." Lucy giggled. "I felt bad for Yukino, though. She got caught in my and Sherry's argument."

"Sherry?" Erza questioned. Must have been the work of those cards.

"Hey, bunny girl, I got a bone to pick with you." Gajeel grumbled as he sat on the first bed letting Porlyusica wrap his abdomen. "That red one, was it yours?"

"Red one?" Lucy questioned. "Was it a snake with dragon wings?"

"I don't know; it was gone by the time I looked up. All I saw was red." The Iron Dragon Slayer grunted before hissing as the medicine the old lady put in his wounds stung.

"That was probably Serpens." Lucy informed. "Why?"

"That little shit attacked me!" Gajeel complained, standing up.

"Me too." Gray added, raising his hand.

"Sorry, I'll have a talk with her." Lucy apologized profusely. "She probably got bored and wanted to hurry you guys along. Did she at least lead you somewhere?"

"Yeah, but it could've just asked me to follow." Gajeel grumbled.

"Not quite her style with strangers." The Celestial mage replied, getting off of the bed. "I'm sorry, really. Did it hurt? Do you want me to heal it?"

"No." Gajeel grumbled, crossing his arms. Gray rolled his eyes.

"Sure, sure." Lucy giggled.

"You better go out there." Porlyusica suggested, putting her hands on her hips as she finished with her last patient.

Erza looked out the window beside her, "Looks like people are running out of the stadium."

"That's probably why." Gray said, pointing at the two monsters flying through the air.

* * *

"Keep calm, ladies and gentlemen!" Chapati yelled in the microphone. "The Grand Magic Games guards are handling the situation. Please leave the arena calmly as to not provoke these creatures."

"It doesn't look like they're interested in attacking anyone." Yajima noticed. The two monsters were just circling around in the air. The magic forest started to dissipate.

"Just where did these things come from, 'kin?" Mato asked nervously.

A long whistle alerted the announcers to look down in the arena. Lucy walked out of the eastern gate, soon followed by the other members from the Fairy Tail team along with Wendy Marvell.

The Celestial mage stopped whistling to wave up at the monsters. She then gestured for them to come down from the sky.

"It seems like these monsters belong to none other than Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail." Chapati announced. "There's nothing to fear, everyone, please exit the arena in an orderly fashion. And don't forget to tune into your lacrima-vision to watch today's Award Ceremony happening later tonight!"

"It will be quite the event, 'kin!" Mato said excitedly.

"Until later, this is Chapati Lola," Chapati said.

"Yajima,"

"And Mato, 'kin!"

"Wishing you a very good evening." Chapati finished, turning off the microphones for the last time this year.

* * *

A silver scaled, snake-like creature floated down towards its owner first. This Celestial Spirit was as big as Ophiuchus, much like its partner for today's Games. Though it was snake-like, it looked like it belonged in the water with four front fins and two back fins. Spikey, deep purple dorsal fins ran down its whole body, ending at the tail. Sharp yellow eyes watched the Fairy Tail mages warily. It opened its triangular shaped snout to hiss at them, showing multiple rows of sharp teeth.

"Don't hiss at our friends." Lucy chastised, putting a hand on the monster's snout. "Everyone, this is Hydra, Spirit of the Water Serpent."

The other beast came down from the skies, using its dragon wings to steadily lower to the ground. The extremely large, red Rough Scaled Bush Viper circled around the group before settling near Lucy, leaning its large body against the Celestial mage.

"And this is Serpens, Spirit of the Serpent." Lucy introduced, putting her other hand on Serpens' body that was leaning against her.

Gray and Gajeel wearily looked at Lucy's hand on the red one. Weren't those scales sharp?

"It is a pleasure." Erza greeted. "Thank you, for all of your hard work today."

Serpens and Hyrda bowed their heads down slightly, but otherwise didn't care for the other Fairy Tail mages.

"We asked for ones that looked like monsters, and we got them." Laxus commented, crossing his arms. "Good work, kid."

"I'm really not that much younger than you." Lucy mumbled. "Anyways, did you guys have a good time out there?"

" _Just as you promised."_ Hydra said in a deep, masculine voice, though the creature didn't move its mouth.

These things could talk?

" _May we be dismissed, Lucy?"_ Serpens asked, her voice very feminine and light.

"Of course. Take a long break tonight. Thanks again!" Lucy said as her two Spirits disappeared in golden lights.

"They were so cool, Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Thanks, I suppose." The Celestial mage giggled.

"Didn't that hurt?" Gray questioned, moving to look at Lucy's hand.

"Hm? What hurt?" The blonde girl asked, lifting her hand questioningly.

"The red one, bunny girl." Gajeel grunted.

"Oh, her scales don't hurt those she doesn't want to hurt." Lucy said with a shrug. "It's a good thing she used her scales on you rather than her teeth. Her poison is pretty lethal."

"Then what about those who she took out in the arena?" Erza asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Lucy-sama!" Everyone looked up into the stands. Yukino stood at the top waving her hands. "Was that snake yours?!"

"Yeah!" Lucy yelled back.

"We need the antidote quickly!" Yukino informed frantically. "Orga-sama isn't going to make it!"

"Oh!" Lucy gasped, running back into Domus Flau.

"I'm going to inform the old man." Laxus said, walking in a different direction once they were inside.

"I'm going, too." Gajeel huffed, leaving with the Lightning Dragon Slayer without another word.

"You have the antidote?" Gray asked, starting to run alongside her.

" _I'm_ the antidote." The Celestial mage informed. "I didn't realize Serpens used so much poison, though. You guys weren't exposed to it, were you?"

"Well," Natsu drawled out, running comfortably.

"She did spray poison at Rufus when Gray was fighting him." Erza said.

"Did you get any droplets on you? The poison doesn't spread through air, so you should be fine otherwise." Lucy replied, looking for the stairwell.

"I didn't. Gray, Natsu?" Erza questioned.

"Nope," Natsu answered.

"Me neither." Gray said.

"Good." Lucy sighed in relief. "It's like we're on a team mission." She giggled as they neared the hallway into Sabertooth's infirmary.

"It does, doesn't it?" Erza said with a grin.

"It's good to be back together." Natsu added, smiling cheekily.

"It feels like it has been forever since it was like this." Wendy replied.

"Let's go on a mission when we get home." Gray suggested.

"I'm all fired up!" The group of five yelled happily.

"Lucy-sama!" Yukino called, waving them over to the infirmary.

"Wait! Lucy!" Lyon yelled from a hallway over. "Jura needs the antidote!"

"Oh boy. Serpens really did some damage in that arena." The Celestial mage sighed.

* * *

…6PM… Mercurius Gardens…

* * *

"Good evening, everyone! We are here, in Mercurius Gardens, awaiting the King of Fiore and Princess Hisui to start the Awards Ceremony for the finale of the Grand Magic Games." Chapati Lola announced towards a floating lacrima-camera, holding a microphone to his mouth. "As you can see around me, many guilds are in attendance, tonight. Some guilds that have lost during the preliminaries have even stuck around to watch the action unfold this past week. And, right now, it seems as though the event is about to start, folks. Let's have a listen."

The King of Fiore, Toma E. Fiore and his daughter, Princess Hisui Fiore, stepped out of the palace's front doors. The attendees of the event quieted down, all looking towards the entrance. Guards surrounded the two royals, some carrying medals and one carrying a big trophy.

"Hello," Toma said into a microphone that was behind a podium. "I would like to thank everyone for participating and attending this year's Grand Magic Games." The crowd applauded. "As King and contributor to the Games, I present this year's top seven guilds with congratulatory prizes, not only for participating in the Games, but also for helping keep this country safe."

The crowd applauded once more. The King motioned for one of his guards to give Hisui a medal.

"This medal is for the seventh place winner. Congratulations, Zepar War!" Hisui said happily, holding out the medal for all to see. The medal was made of silver with the crest of Fiore on one side and the words '7th Place, Grand Magic Games X792' on the other. Hisui waited for a representative to walk up. Minutes passed.

"It seems as though Zepar War did not stay for the closing ceremonies." Toma said as he cleared his throat. "The medal will be mailed to any guild that is not here to personally receive it."

Hisui handed the medal back to the guard and got passed a different prize from another guard. The medal was the same with the exception of the words put on the back.

"Sixth place winner, Quatro Cerberus, congratulations!" The princess exclaimed.

Goldmine, the Master of Quatro Cerberus, walked up to the front with a smirk and accepted the award. The crowd cheered genuinely.

The process went on similarly for the next four medals. Each guild master walked up to the front and got handed the medal. The press took some pictures, and then it was on to the next award. Finally, the royals were ready to hand out the trophy to the first place winners.

"Cool! Cool! Cool~!" Jason yelled, snapping pictures frantically.

"And to the winners of the X792's Grand Magic Games." Toma said happily, motioning for the guard that was holding the trophy to step forward. "Fairy Tail, please accept this trophy!"

"Yeah! We won!" Natsu yelled, running up to the king.

"Of course, your prize money will be sent directly to your guild." Toma added when Master Makarov made his way to them.

"Lucy, congratulations." Hisui said, grabbing the girl's hands.

"Thank you." The Celestial mage replied, squeezing the princess' hands back, jumping slightly in excitement.

With the Awards Ceremony over, the other guilds started a talk excitedly, congratulating each other for a hard fought battle. Music began to play from the speakers in the gardens. Caterers appeared from the palace, serving finger foods and drinks. A lacrima-tron was set up to replay highlights of Day Five.

"Master Makarov, do you have a minute?" Chapati asked over all of the noise, the lacrima-camera following him.

"Of course." Makarov said with a grin as he held the huge trophy.

"How does it feel to win the Grand Magic Games two years in a row?" Chapati asked, putting the microphone to the elder man's mouth.

"Great! I couldn't be any more proud of my children." Makarov answered.

"Does this change anything from here on out?"

"Doubtful. We will be living our lives like usual."

"And with the return of Lucy Heartfilia, how does that affect the guild?"

"We're going to celebrate even more, of course!" Makarov exclaimed with a grin.

"Thank you for your time, Makarov-san." Chapati said gratefully. "Please enjoy the festivities." He turned to the camera as Makarov waved cheekily and left. "You heard it here, folks. Fairy Tail will be as lively as always! Let's go meet Sabertooth's Master and see what he has to say about tonight's event and the future of his guild."

* * *

"Lucy!" Natsu called.

The Celestial mage looked over, her conversation with Yukino and Hisui coming to a stop.

"What is it, Natsu?" Lucy asked, as the Fire Dragon Slayer got closer.

"I thought you'd be hungry." Natsu informed happily, handing over a plate piled full of small finger foods.

"Oh, thanks." Lucy said gratefully, accepting the plate. She blinked. There was too much for her. "You're not hungry?" Beside her, Yukino and Hisui giggled lightly.

"I'm going to raid the kitchen pretty soon." Natsu sighed. "These little things aren't filling me up."

"I'm sure they aren't." Lucy laughed, shooing him away when she heard his stomach grumble. She looked back over towards her friends. They were giving her a knowing look. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." Yukino and Hisui said together.

"Anyways, do you want some?" Lucy asked, holding the plate out. They nodded and took random foods while they chatted.

It was another twenty minutes of catching up before yelling stopped their conversation once again.

"There's a fire in the kitchen!" An employee of the kingdom shouted in alarm. Other employees rushed inside, grabbing fire extinguishers. "Is anyone a Water wizard?!"

* * *

"How much do you want to bet it was Natsu?" Gray scoffed.

"I'm not stupid enough to take that bet." Lyon huffed. "Only _your_ guild can be so irresponsible."

"What was that, Lyon?" Gray growled, getting closer to his elder pupil.

"You heard me." Lyon challenged.

* * *

"It looks so yummy." Chelia whispered in awe, looking at a little cup of dessert on a tray that a caterer was holding.

"Want to try it?" Wendy asked softly, her eyes gleaming with joy. The Sky God Slayer licked her lips, nodding.

The caterer waited patiently, but raised an eyebrow. Were these girls going to take the dessert off of the tray or what?

"I wish I could eat it." Mavis pouted, standing behind the caterer. The employee shivered, nervously turning around. There was something there, but what?!

* * *

"You should totally visit us, Er-chan." Millianna pouted. "We're close to the ocean, so the seafood at home is the best! It'll be our treat!"

"I'll make sure to visit more often." Erza replied, smiling.

"And maybe you and Kagura can have a duel or something for fun." Millianna continued before leaning in and whispering in the Re-quip mage's ear, "Between you and me, she's been itching for a good fight, meow. The rest of us need a break from her intense _training_."

"I see." Erza said, laughing lightly. "It'll be good practice."

* * *

The rest of the night was spent talking and cheering amongst each other. Catching up with the friends that were members of other guilds and playing games around the flowers enticed smiles onto everyone's faces. The wizards drank and partied like there was no tomorrow. The music blasted across Mercurius Gardens, keeping citizens and tourists awake and aware of the event.

Why was it that the fight for first place was always so stressful?

Wasn't the Grand Magic Games supposed to be a friendly competition?

For now, the fight didn't matter. For now, they enjoyed themselves as friends would during a night out. The moonlight shined upon the wizards. Maybe a time would come when they could live together as mages in a world that didn't struggle for magic dominance. When a competition wasn't so cruel.

Perhaps one day…

* * *

…Next Morning…

* * *

"Still haven't found a cure for motion sickness, I see." Lucy giggled, patting Natsu on the head. The Fire Dragon Slayer groaned, leaning forward in his seat.

The team was currently sitting in a train car, heading back home to Magnolia. The rest of Fairy Tail had split up, travelling home by any available means. With so many tourists also leaving Crocus, public transportation was a bit crowded. To save a bit of room for other passengers, Wendy sat in Erza's lap while Happy sat in Gray's and Charle sat in Lucy's. Natsu's lap was still too dangerous while on a vehicle.

"L-Lu-shee," Natsu groaned. "Help…"

"And how do you expect me to help?" Lucy questioned, rubbing his head.

"Heal – urg – spell." Natsu whimpered.

"My healing spell doesn't exactly work like that." The Celestial mage said slowly. "I heal physical wounds, not psychological or imbalances in the body."

"Wendy," Natsu wheezed next.

"Sorry, Natsu-san. I really don't think it'll work on you anymore." Wendy apologized. "I can give it a try, though." The little Dragon Slayer hopped off of Erza and stood steadily in the moving train car. She placed her hands near Natsu's head, "Troia."

Seconds passed by.

"Urg…" Natsu groaned, his body tipping forward. Wendy sighed in disappointment.

"Like I said when we were traveling here, he's a lost cause. I wouldn't worry about it." Happy piped in happily. Lucy hid her laugh behind her hand.

"Still as pathetic as ever." Gray sighed, leaning his elbow on the windowsill and leaning his head in his hand.

"Would you like to sit next to me, again?" Erza asked with a grin that promised pain. Natsu shook his head, his body falling onto Lucy's arm at the sudden wave of dizziness. Charle sighed as her human seat got jostled a bit. Was this the same rampaging FireDragon Slayer?

Of course it was.

"I can't wait to get back to Magnolia," Lucy whispered, staring outside at the scenery.

* * *

"Welcome back, Fairy Tail!"

"Congratulations!"

"Let's make it three years in a row!"

The citizens of Magnolia cheered as various members of the guild made their way home. Congratulatory banners were placed on some of the streetlights and balloons were tied to the others. The people of Magnolia yelled happily, shooting off confetti bombs into the air.

"Welcome home, Lucy!"

The Celestial mage looked over, seeing the men who usually rowed the boat down the canal. She waved at them in greeting. The Celestial mage blushed slightly. She had never gotten much attention before; usually it was Natsu, Erza, Mira, or Gray who was popular amongst the crowd.

With most of their members scattered about on the transportation system, the current group that entered the city's walls wasn't that large. It was just Natsu's usual team and the Strauss siblings. They didn't even have the trophy! Natsu wasn't trusted in carrying the award this year, after stealing the King's crown the year before.

Nonetheless, the ever-faithful citizens of Magnolia praised their first place victory, hollering every time a guild member passed by.

Eventually, the group made it to the guild. Most members were already inside and waiting for the others to show up. Tonight they will be hosting another Fairy Tail Party.

"It's the same." Lucy noticed, looking around and inspecting every inch of the guild. She had missed this place.

"We didn't have much to do to it." Mira replied, squeezing Lucy's shoulder as she walked passed to go to the bar. "Anyone want something to drink?"

A chorus of agreements echoed in the building. Bags from the trip to Crocus lined the back wall near the bar counter. Looks like no one wanted to go home yet. Lucy and the others went to the back, as well, to drop off their things. Something caught the Celestial wizard's attention.

"What's this?" Lucy asked, standing in front of a picture of her with a map underneath it. She cocked her head to the side.

"Looking for you, of course." Gray scoffed lightly, ruffling Lucy's hair before heading towards a table. "Mira, is there any food here?"

"Right away," Mira chimed happily; finishing making the drinks she had to pass out.

"Me? You sure went to a lot of trouble." Lucy replied softly.

"You're family, of course we'd go to all of that trouble." Happy said, landing on Lucy's head.

"Not that it was trouble." Erza added. "But now that you're back home, safe, we can take this down."

"Thanks," Lucy said, giving her guild mates a bright smile.

"What for?" Natsu asked.

"Just, thanks." Lucy giggled as she turned to a nearby table. "Reedus, did you draw this from memory?"

"Oui," The Picto mage replied.

"Your artwork still amazes me, after all of this time." Lucy complimented. "Maybe I'll take it home."

"It does look better than you," Happy said absently from the top of her head.

"Cat," Lucy hissed, grabbing the blue fur ball and dropping him to the ground. Though the blue Exceed just summoned his wings to fly.

"Natsu! Lucy's being mean to me!" Happy cried.

"You were mean first!" Lucy gasped.

"Lucy! What do you think you're doing to Happy?" Natsu asked, hugging his Exceed partner to his chest.

The Celestial mage let out a loud, frustrated huff, walking away from the pair to bang her head on the bar counter. The other guild members had a good laugh. Had it really been almost a year since their friend had disappeared? It felt like nothing had changed. All of the hardships that both parties have gone through felt like a dream that had ended to let reality take over once more.

"Now, now," Mira soothed, placing a strawberry smoothie in front of the Celestial mage.

"Is that any way to treat a lady?" Elfman asked. "That's not very manly."

"Lucy is plenty pretty." Lisanna argued from her seat at the bar.

"But the picture is way prettier." Happy said innocently. "Besides, that Lucy doesn't seem _nearly_ as heavy as our Lucy."

"It's a picture! Of course it's lighter!" Lucy huffed, but then started to wail without any tears. "Aquarius was right!"

"Now look what you've done, flame brain." Gray sighed, walking up to the commotion to pick up his food order. "Girls are sensitive to this stuff, you know?"

"You want to go, ice princess?" Natsu growled.

"Bring it on!" Gray retorted. The two were soon locked in battle, pulling in other members to join the brawl.

"Already?" Charle said in disapproval.

"I guess it wouldn't be Fairy Tail without it." Wendy giggled.

"Lucy?" Happy said softly, walking on the bar to stand in front of the Celestial mage. The Strauss siblings looked over as well. "The picture might be prettier, and a ton lighter," The Exceed started to say, flying back onto Lucy's head to cuddle. "But you're much better than a picture and I'd take you over it, any day. Besides, you give me fish!"

"Yeah, yeah," Lucy sighed, smiling softly as she patted Happy on the head.

"Mira!" A woman called from the front door, slamming them open. "Get out the alcohol!"

"Cana, we just got back." Jet sighed, sluggishly walking into the guild.

"So?" Cana asked dryly.

"Welcome back." Mira greeted.

"Mira, I can use some food." Droy moaned, coming in behind the Speed mage.

"Okay," The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage sang, going back into the kitchen.

"Are they really fighting already?" Levy commented dryly, holding a book to her chest.

"Gi-hee," Gajeel chuckled, cracking his knuckles.

"You're not seriously going to join-" Levy began to say but was ignored by the Iron Dragon Slayer as he jumped into the fight. The Solid Script mage sighed, walking up to her best friend.

"Hi, Levy-chan." Lucy greeted, sipping the strawberry smoothie.

"Hey, Lu-chan." Levy replied. "Here," She said, handing the book to the Celestial mage. Lucy raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I finished it and I know you don't have it."

"What?" Lucy asked, taking the book. She gasped. "The fourth book to our favorite series?! When did this come out?"

"While you were away, of course." Levy scoffed lightly. "I went to my place to get it for you before coming here." The Celestial mage gave the smaller girl a hug.

"Thanks. I'll return it when I finish." Lucy replied gratefully.

"Is that series really that good?" Lisanna asked curiously, munching on a plate of fries that Mira had brought out.

"It's amazing. You want to read it? I have all of the books." Levy said excitedly.

"Sure, but don't expect me to read it as quickly as you guys." Lisanna laughed.

Just as the blonde was about to answer, she turned to look as something caught the corner of her eye.

"Eep! Duck!" Lucy cried, pulling Levy's hand as she crouched down. A chair crashed into the corner of the bar, breaking the wood. Lisanna, being a few seats away from them, was spared from the attack.

The chair collided with the bar just as Mirajane stepped out of the kitchen with Droy's food. She acted as though nothing was out of the ordinary. There really wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

"Droy! Food's ready!" Mira called.

"H-Help!" Droy garbled as he was pulled back into the fight. He and Jet had been dragged in long ago.

"Let me guess, Natsu and Gray started this." Levy sighed, standing back up.

"Lucy, too." Lisanna sang nonchalantly, eating another fry.

"You?" Levy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It was Happy's fault." The Celestial mage sighed. "Where did that cat go, anyways?"

The other three girls pointed towards the table on the other side of the guild. She should have figured. The little fur ball was with Charle, Pantherlily, Wendy, and Romeo.

"You girls aren't hungry?" Mira asked.

"I guess I could go for something." Lucy replied, eyeing the plate Gray had left. "Do you think he'd care?"

"I can make him a new one." Mira laughed, taking a chip off of Gray's plate and eating it herself.

"You want the other half of the sandwich, Levy?" Lucy asked.

"We can't have this food go to waste." Levy replied, looking over her shoulder to make sure that the guys were still fighting.

"Waste? Levy, did you or did you not grow up in this guild?" Lisanna joked. "They'll eat it no matter the condition of the food."

"Probably," Levy laughed, holding up her half of the sandwich and tapped it against Lucy's half as a 'cheers.'

"Where's Master?" Lucy asked suddenly, taking a bite and chewing slowly. She looked up to the second floor and raised an eyebrow. What the heck? When did Erza go up there to eat an entire strawberry cake?

"He was making sure we all got some sort of transportation home before going himself." Mira answered, eating another chip. "I'm sure he and the Thunder God Tribe will be here soon."

"Girls, girls," Cana said in a disapproving voice as she walked over, slinging her arms around Lucy and Levy while stepping in between them. "Don't just eat without some alcohol! Today is a celebration!"

"We already partied at the capital." Levy reminded.

"We're Fairy Tail." Cana drawled out. "We can never party too much."

"Agreed!" Lisanna exclaimed, holding up a fry as if to toast with the Card mage.

"I'll get the drinks mixed." Mira giggled, turning around to gather all of the alcohol, mixers, and chasers. "You girls want to start off with something light and fruity while we wait for everyone to get back?"

* * *

…Night…

* * *

"Yeah~!"

"First place, bitches!" Gajeel screamed, standing on top of the second floor banister, beer in his hand.

"Yeah~!"

"Gray-sama!" Juvia cried, clinging onto the Ice Make mage's arm. "Why don't you want Juvia?"

"W-What are you talking about, Ju…Vi…Via?" Gray slurred, sluggishly tugging his arm away from the woman.

"Let's go, Juvia! Take him to the empty infirmary!" Levy cheered, putting her hands up.

"Gray! Fight me!" Natsu yelled, his drink sloshing a bit.

"Natsu," Lucy whined, holding his hand to keep him next to her. "You promised to take a shot with me!"

"Lucy! Fight me!" Natsu exclaimed as his attention was diverted from the Ice Make mage.

"But, Natsu!" Lucy drawled out.

"Drinking contest!" Cana laughed loudly. "Who wants in?"

"Here's your drink, Master." Kinana said, taking a drink off of her serving tray.

"We are Fairy Tail!" Master Makarov yelled as he stood on top of the bar top and held up his new drink.

"Yeah~!"

"To Fairy Tail!" The Master shouted, lifting his glass. "To Lucy!"

"Yeah~!"

"Oh. My. Gosh." Charle said slowly, floating above all of the drunken wizards.

"Charle!" Happy sang, flying over with a glass of something with a fish stuck in it. "I brought you a drink!"

"That looks revolting." Charle said, hissing like a cat at the drink. It _was_ something fruity. It was green, probably kiwi or apple flavored, however the fish was not so inviting.

"Mine!" Pantherlily yelled, flying at top speed to grab the drink and chug it down, taking out the fish bone from his mouth when he finished.

"You're drunk, too?" Charle screeched.

"Oh, you dare challenge me, Pantherlily?" Erza asked menacingly, coming up to the Exceeds.

"I'm Happy!" The blue Exceed cried, but yelped as Erza pulled his tail.

"I'm sure you are happy to be challenging me. You won't beat me this time!" The Re-quip mage exclaimed, re-quipping a large sword to her hand.

"Open, Gate of the Lion, Loke!" Lucy chanted loudly, holding the key high into the air.

"Princess, what can I do for you so late in the even-? Are you drunk calling me?!" Loke asked in surprise, noticing his owner's flushed cheeks.

"No!" Lucy yelled. She paused. "Maybe." Loke pinched the bridge of his nose. "Anyways, have a shot with me! Natsu isn't being fun. And _besides,_ you're a Fairy Tail member! You should have fun with us."

"I'm your Celestial Spirit, first and foremost." Loke sighed, obediently getting dragged to the bar and getting pushed onto a stool.

"Oh? But according to this mark," Lucy said, getting close to her friend and putting her hand under his suit jacket, placing it on the middle of his back. "You're a Fairy Tail wizard. So live a little with us!"

"All right, princess." Loke laughed. He supposed he could let his worries go for one night. "Mira, can we get a couple shots here?"

"Of course," The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage said pleasantly, pouring a random alcohol into two shot glasses and putting them in front of the duo. "Welcome home."

"Cheers to that." Loke replied, lifting his glass. Lucy enthusiastically clinked their shots together before downing it.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Please drink any alcoholic beverage responsibly.**


	30. Play Time

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty: Play Time

* * *

"That was a mistake." Lucy moaned, laying her cheek on the bar counter.

"You're not going home to freshen up?" Mira questioned, but then giggled. "Or should I say 'going home to recover?'"

"I don't have a home." The Celestial mage sighed. Mira tilted her head in confusion, leaning her forearms next to the blonde's head.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I suppose Fairy Tail is home." Lucy corrected, turning her head so her forehead was now on the bar top. "I don't have an apartment."

Mira grinned, patting her friend's hair and continued to clean the bar around the Celestial mage.

"The others will take you home."

"What's that suppose to me-" Lucy started to ask but was cut off when Natsu called her name.

"Come on," Natsu said excitedly, running up to the blonde and grabbing her hand.

"You're energetic today, Natsu." Kinana commented, drying some mugs behind the bar with Mirajane.

"Well, we got something to show Lucy." The Fire Dragon Slayer said with a grin, tugging Lucy towards the door.

"Surprise, Lucy." Mira laughed, keeping the secret with a wink.

Lucy stumbled to keep up with the pink haired man. Once out the door, she saw Erza, Gray, and Happy waiting for them.

"Let's go so I can sleep." Gray groaned, holding his head and squinting his eyes as the sunlight shined upon them.

"You're not focused enough," Erza scolded, seeming as though she didn't have a hang over from last night. Happy shivered, inching away from the red head.

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked, also squinting her eyes against the sunlight. Her head was pounding.

"Our welcome home gift." Natsu said, smiling brightly. He tugged her hand forward, prompting the group to walk.

For the first time all morning, Lucy realized she must have looked like a mess. She feebly tried to straighten out her hair and clothing with her free hand to little avail. As she looked at her group, she noticed that everyone was carrying their luggage from their trip to Crocus. She gasped, realizing she left her bag at the guild.

"Something wrong?" Happy asked, flying to land on Lucy's shoulder. The blonde looked around, realizing that Natsu was carrying her bag.

"Oh, nothing, I just thought I forgot something." The Celestial mage replied.

"If you say so, weirdo." Natsu chuckled, tugging on her hand harder to get them moving faster. "Come on, we're almost there."

"Where are you taking me?" Lucy asked, stumbling once again. They were in a familiar part of town.

"It's a surprise." Gray informed. "Follow fire butt for a little longer, it's not much farther."

"I think you'll like it." Erza said, smiling at the younger girl.

The group walked just a bit further. They stopped in front of Lucy's apartment complex, opening the door and walking up the stairs like they had done it a million times. They probably had.

"Wait, I haven't paid rent in almost a year! My landlady is going to be so mad!" Lucy complained, tugging on Natsu's hand to get him out of the building. Gray came up behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders and lightly pushed her forward.

"Just wait." Natsu said excitedly, nearly kicking down the front door to the apartment on the second floor.

"Don't just break in!" Lucy chastised as she was pulled _and_ pushed forward, into the room. "What if-! What?" She paused, noticing all of the familiar furniture and decorations.

"Surprise!" Happy yelled, making Lucy and Gray flinch at the noise level.

"Surprise?" The Celestial mage questioned. "But I haven't paid rent-"

"We paid for you." Gray cut in, dropping his bag to the floor. "You're welcome."

"W-Why?" Lucy whispered. The Fire Dragon Slayer let go of her hand and went to open the drawer with all of the money. "Where did all of that come from?"

"Where else?" Natsu asked with a raised eyebrow. "We went on jobs while you were vacationing in another world."

"We even paid rent for you and you don't even thank us." Happy pouted.

"I…" Lucy said softly, her eyes tearing up. Soon, the liquid filled her eyes and fell down her cheek.

"Welcome home, Lucy." Erza said.

With a choked cry, Lucy launched herself at the Re-quip mage, hugging her dear friend in gratitude, not just for paying for the apartment, but for believing that she'd one day return.

* * *

"Where are you going today, Master?" Mira asked when she noticed him walking out the door with an empty sack.

"I'm off to collect some _batons._ " Makarov said with a grin.

"Batons?" Mira questioned.

"Everyone needs a little fun." Makarov chuckled, hopping out of the door.

The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage looked up to the second floor, seeing Laxus with a raised eyebrow in confusion. Seemed like he didn't know, either. She looked around to see if anyone else knew.

The guild was unusually empty.

Mira smiled, continuing to straighten things up with Kinana. Perhaps it wasn't so unusual after last night's fiasco.

* * *

Lucy heard a groan from her bathroom. She heard another moan coming from her kitchen. And then a cough that came from her window. She lay on the rug, staring blankly at the white ceiling. The noises repeated.

Last night was definitely a mistake.

Erza, who insisted that it was their lack of concentration and wrong frame of mind that made them feel hung-over, was locking herself in the bathroom. Gray, who clearly didn't feel one hundred percent, resorted to using Lucy's kitchen sink, to make the least amount of mess while the bathroom was occupied. Then there was Natsu. No one realized that the overactive Fire Dragon Slayer was feeling yesterday's effects, until he turned blue and launched himself towards the window. Lucy hoped no one was below it.

The Celestial mage closed her eyes, chanting internally to not puke. She heard Happy walk over to her, crawling onto her stomach. Mentally, Lucy pleaded the cat not to, fearing that if she opened her mouth to speak, she'd blow chunks.

"I think I'm done." Gray whimpered, staggering out of the kitchen.

"That's good." Happy cheered. The Ice Make mage turned pale, running back to the kitchen sink to empty out other contents from his stomach. "Or not."

The door to the bathroom opened, revealing Erza's freshened face and perfectly groomed hair.

"I will replace your toilet." Erza said nonchalantly. Lucy turned her head to the side, giving a weird look towards her friend. Replace the toilet? Just what had the Re-quip mage thrown up? Erza walked over to the prone Celestial mage, lying down beside her.

"Okay, now I'm good." Gray said, sounding a lot better. He sturdily walked towards Erza, lying down, as well.

"Yeah, me too." Natsu sighed, crawling over to the group, joining them on the ground next to Lucy.

The group let out a collective sigh.

"Regret it?" Lucy whispered.

"Not in the least." Natsu said with a grin.

"It has been too long since a Fairy Tail party like that." Gray chuckled.

"Agreed. Although, perhaps that's better for our health?" Erza questioned.

"Then Fairy Tail must be the unhealthiest wizards guild in Fiore." Happy said.

"Our livers are going to die." Lucy giggled.

"Wendy can heal it, can't she?" Natsu asked.

"Probably." Erza answered.

The group sighed together, once again.

"Got any food, Lucy?" Happy asked, rolling around on the Celestial wizard's stomach.

"You'll get half digested dinner and alcohol soon, if you keep moving." Lucy groaned. The Exceed stopped immediately. "Unless you guys restocked my fridge this past year, I doubt there's anything edible."

"Should we go out to eat?" Erza asked.

The seconds ticked by as the group thought about possible food choices.

"I'm going to throw up." Lucy said, covering her mouth as she got up to fast walk to the bathroom.

"Me too." Gray, Natsu, and Erza harmonized, going back to their previous locations. The Exceed was left on the ground where Lucy had dropped him.

Once inside the bathroom, the blonde paused at the toilet. Why were swords going through every inch of the toilet? She felt her dinner come up. The sink, it was, then. Lucy heard the door open soon after. The Re-quip mage made her way to the bathtub.

"I'll have someone clean up the place when I get the toilet replaced." Erza said once she was finished.

Lucy rinsed her mouth with water before responding, "Why did you do that to the toilet, exactly?"

"It seems I need to concentrate more." Erza replied with a firm nod. The blonde wasn't going to question things anymore. The girls went back out, seeing the guys lying down, Happy now on Natsu's abs.

"Why are we always gathering at my place?" Lucy questioned softly, going back to the ground near the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Just because," Gray said, shrugging against the rug.

"It's more fun when we're together." Natsu replied, turning his head and grinning cheekily.

"Yeah," Lucy said, smiling softly. "But what about Erz-" No, that was an all girls dorm. Males were strictly off limits. "Then Nats-…" Not that place either. The pair slept on a hammock and had a tree growing out of the house, for goodness sakes! Plus, it was probably a humongous mess again. Now that she thought about it, she's never seen… "Gray. Why not your place?"

"Doubt Juvia will be too thrilled to hear about that." The Ice Make mage said nonchalantly.

"Oh," Lucy whispered shakily.

* * *

…Next Day…

* * *

"Cool! Cool! Cool~!" Jason yelled, holding a microphone tightly in his hands. "Fairy Tail is at it again! They are restarting their tradition! The 24 Hour Race is about to begin!"

"You're kidding." Macao sighed. "I'm getting too old for this."

"Maybe you should lay off the alcohol." Wakaba commented with a chuckle.

"Maybe you should lay off the pipe." Macao retorted.

"Listen up, brats!" Makarov said excitedly. He, Jason, and Mirajane stood in front of a large lacrima-ball. "The rules from last race still apply, no flying!" Happy, Charle, and Pantherlily dropped to the ground. Evergreen started to complain, but no one stopped to listen too closely. "All right, are you ready? You have to go to the mountain, defeat the monster, and bring back the bell on its collar!"

"Defeat the monster?!" The Fairy Tail wizards yelled in surprise.

"What a twist! This year, instead of just running, they will have to fight! Cool!" Jason announced.

"Is there just one big one or one for everyone?" Mirajane asked.

"One for everyone, of course." Master replied with a chortle. "Once someone passes a certain point, a random monster will appear. Of course, these monsters solely target one person and no one else can help."

"Will last place get a punishment?" Jason questioned excitedly.

"Of course!" Master replied, grinning evilly. The Fairy Tail wizards shivered.

"All right, everyone to your starting positions!" Jason screamed.

* * *

"I've been home for one day, and this happens?" Lucy groaned, getting ready.

"Cheer up, Lu-chan." Levy encouraged. "It'll be fun."

"And even more exhausting." The Celestial mage sighed. "I just recovered from the party."

"I'm sure everyone else did, too." Levy laughed.

"On your marks, mages!" Jason announced loudly.

"Watch me start, Levy." Jet said with a grin.

"Haha," Levy replied dryly.

"Get set." Mira said next into the microphone. The wizards shifted slightly.

"Sorry, Levy-chan." Lucy said, pouring magic onto her finger. "I'm going to have to leave you behind."

"You going to activate that spell you used during the Grand Magic Games, aren't you?" Levy asked knowingly. "Good luck beating Jet."

"I'll try my best." Lucy giggled.

"Go!" Master Makarov yelled.

Jet set off at the speed of light, blowing a lot of their guild members onto their backs. Lucy tried to quickly draw the constellation of Lepus.

"Later, Lucy!" Natsu yelled, using his fire as a speed booster.

"Bye." The Celestial mage replied. "Ah! I messed up!" She quickly swiped at the air, erasing the lights.

"Sorry, Lu-chan!" Levy yelled as she ran away. "I don't want the punishment!"

Lucy was the last one at the starting line.

"Lucy?" Mira questioned.

"I got it!" Lucy yelled in success, her right eye slowly darkening to black. "Leporis!" She then ran off, waving goodbye.

"Okay." Mira drawled out, blinking at the blonde.

"And Lucy Heartfilia is off!" Jason yelled. "If I have my notes correct, she used this spell during the final day of the Games. Cool! Will she give Jet a run for his money?!"

* * *

"Why doesn't Mira have to run?" Lisanna cried, trying valiantly to balance on the icy floor.

"She's the poster girl!" Warren replied, slipping on the ice and sliding around on his back.

"When I get my hands on Gray, I swear I'll trap him in a sand dune." Max grumbled, also sliding passed the Take-Over: Animal Soul mage in a sitting position.

"I wish I could fly." Lisanna sighed.

* * *

"Freed! Are we really doing this again?!" Evergreen yelled in fury as she and two others were trapped inside of Freed's rune box.

"You'll have to answer every question in those textbooks correctly before the trap will deactivate." Freed informed proudly.

"You're kidding." Laki sighed, picking up a book. "Are you serious, Freed?! A textbook on the history of the lacrima-tron?"

"Guide to putting on makeup?" Pantherlily read. "I think you girls should give this one a try."

"Better get started." Freed said, running away.

"Freed!" Evergreen yelled.

* * *

"Solid Script: Stairs!" Levy yelled from inside a pitfall that Reedus had created. The word materialized in front of her, creating steps for the little mage to climb up.

"Shrimp?" Gajeel asked, walking over and looking down. "Why you down there?"

"How'd you get behind me?" Levy asked back. She was sure Gajeel was a faster runner.

"A blacksmith was walking around. Smelled a good meal." The Iron Dragon Slayer said with a shrug.

"So typical."

"Hey!" He complained, taking her hand and lifting up the Solid Script mage the rest of the way.

"What's the big deal?!" Levy yelled.

"Come on!" Gajeel complained, running away once he put her on the ground.

* * *

"Jet is too fast to see on the screen!" Jason exclaimed, watching the lacrima-ball as it showed a dust cloud but no one running.

"So is Lucy." Asuka said innocently as the screen changed. She was hanging onto the edge of the table. "Where are mom and dad?"

"Hm," Makarov hummed, changing the screen once more. "There they are, stuck in smoke."

"Uncle Wakaba." Asuka sighed, letting go of the table to land on the ground. Mira giggled into her hand. Alzack and Bisca sure had a cute daughter.

* * *

… A Few Hours Later…

* * *

"Phew," Natsu huffed, wiping his forehead to rid of sweat. He kept walking forward, looking around cautiously. "Wonder where those- whaaa!" He screamed as he stepped on something that started to glow. A snarling dog appeared out of the ground in a flash of light.

The giant dog growled viciously before roaring out a stream of sand. Natsu tried to block it with his arm but was quickly covered in the substance. The Fire Dragon Slayer heard the dog faster than he saw it coming at him. The bell around its neck jingled at every movement. He needed to get that before this virtual battle could end.

* * *

"How did you set these traps, Master?" Kinana asked as she came over to the group with some plates for lunch.

"I bought some bells at a pet store." Makarov said cheekily. "Infuse them with an illusion spell, bury it in the ground and you've got yourself a monster."

"And they're off!" Jason yelled suddenly. The lacrima ball showed Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, and Erza easily beating the monster by taking the bell.

"Where did Uncle Jet go?" Asuka questioned.

"Seems like he's having a little trouble." Mira giggled once the lacrima ball changed views.

* * *

Jet tirelessly tried to snatch the bell by using his speed. However, the Speed mage was up against a large falcon that was spitting icicles at him. Once the bird was in the air, Jet could do little other than try running up the mountainside and jumping.

"You're still here?" Lucy asked as she skidded to a stop. "Whoa." She gasped as a light appeared under her. The Celestial mage was lifted into the air as an extremely large tiger started to materialize from the ground under her feet. She ended up on top of its back.

"I'd much rather fight this falcon." Jet whispered to himself, running to dodge an attack.

Lucy screamed and rolled off the top of the tiger's body as it tried to bite her. As she free fell, the monster shot a beam of light at her. The Celestial mage grabbed onto the fur of the tiger, stopping her fall and letting the attack pass by before letting go.

"Light? Light is weak to the dark, right?" Lucy asked to herself, landing on the ground. She re-quipped a black key to her hand. "Open, Gate of the Hunting Dogs, Canes Venatici!"

Out of a black magic circle, five large Caucasian Shepard Dogs appeared, growling at the foe in front of them. At the same time, the dogs opened their mouths, releasing long beams of Shadow magic at the tiger.

Lucy quickly drew a constellation in the air and whispered, "Canum Venaticorum." The spell activated, changing Lucy's right eye from black to a bright yellow, like the eyes Canes Venatici had. Four other Lucy's appeared. They briefly leaked a shadowy aura before it diminished to look exactly like the original Lucy.

The four copies of Lucy distracted the beast while Canes Venatici fired off more Shadow magic. The real Lucy sneakily snuck under the tiger's belly, getting just underneath the bell. She sighed. It was too high.

The tiger roared, the Shadow Beams taking its toll on the creature. It tried to fire back with Light magic but began to fall. Lucy screeched in surprise.

"Lucy? Are you okay?" Jet asked, dodging yet another barrage of ice.

"Got it!" Lucy yelled, holding up a small bell. Canes Venatici ran over, whimpering at their owner. "I'm okay."

"I have to finish this." The Speed mage sighed.

"I'm so tired." The Celestial mage huffed, sitting on the ground. "Thanks for your hard work, guys." Canes Venatici nodded their heads before disappearing back to the Celestial World. Lucy closed the spell for her shadow copies, as well, her eye reverting back to the black from the other spell that was open. She decided to close that one, too. "Open, Gate of the Hare, Lepus!"

Another black magic circle appeared, revealing a thin woman with slightly tanned skin, light brown hair in a high ponytail, rabbit ears on her head, and big, round black eyes. The Celestial Spirit of the Hare wore a white sports bra, and white short-shorts, accompanied by white gym shoes.

"What can I do for you, today, Lucy?" Lepus asked emotionlessly, bowing slightly.

"Can you help me finish this race?" The blonde asked, standing up. The Celestial Spirit nodded her head, presenting her back so her owner could climb on.

"Yes! I got it!" Jet yelled excitedly.

"Shall I beat him?" Lepus asked, adjusting Lucy's legs in her hands as she stood up.

"We just can't be in last place. You can beat him if you'd like." Lucy giggled. "Careful, though, he uses Speed magic, too." Lepus nodded, setting off at the same time as Jet did.

Jet's eyes widened. Lucy had a Celestial Spirit that could use Speed magic?!

* * *

"Lucy has some cool magic!" Jason exclaimed. "I wonder what her next trick will be?"

"Jet sure stepped on a troublesome spell." Mira giggled.

"Luck of the draw, I suppose." Makarov chuckled.

"Who will win?! Will Jet once again be beat? Cool!" Jason yelled.

* * *

"Ah, I needed that!" Cana exhaled after taking a hefty swig of alcohol, bell in her other hand.

"You're drinking that in the middle of the race?" Elfman questioned, holding his own bell in his hand.

"I need the energy!" Cana complained, taking another breath before beginning to run again. Elfman joined her but quickly passed the Card mage.

"Perhaps water would work better?" Juvia offered, her hand turning into the element.

"No thanks." Cana said uneasily.

* * *

"Happy! What are you doing?! Just fly up and get it! You can use Aera during the battle!" Charle complained, holding a bell in her paws.

"It's scary!" The blue Exceed cried.

"You can do it, Happy!" Wendy cheered, also holding a bell.

"Natsu!" Happy cried for help, flying at top speed to avoid being stomped on by an elephant.

* * *

…Next Morning…

* * *

"AH!" Natsu yelled, pouring more firepower into his hands.

"GRR!" Gajeel growled, pumping his legs faster.

"RAH!" Gray screamed, running as hard as he could.

Erza sprinted next to the boys, sprinting as fast as she could in her running gear.

"You can do it, Lepus!" Lucy encouraged from further back.

"No you don't!" Jet yelled, trying to pass the Celestial mage and her Spirit.

"Who's that?" Natsu asked when he turned around to look over his shoulder.

"Seems to be a new Spirit." The Re-quip mage answered, not losing her running tempo.

"Whoever it is, she's giving Jet a hard time." Gray chuckled, still trying to run faster.

"Gi-hee, this won't be like last year." Gajeel cackled, pointing his arm back and shooting off Demon Logs into the ground.

"Eep!" Lucy yelled.

"Gajeel!" Jet complained, though he easily ran around the attack.

"Gajeel!" Natsu hissed.

"Relax, bunny girl is fine." The Iron Dragon Slayer said with a roll of his eyes. Out of the dust cloud, the Celestial Spirit landed on the ground after a tremendous leap. "See?"

Natsu's eyebrow ticked in annoyance. He couldn't stand it. Natsu sent out a Fire Dragon's Roar at the smirking Gajeel, halting their run towards the finish line.

"Natsu?" Lucy questioned as she and Lepus ran ahead. "Don't get last place!" The Celestial mage called over her shoulder.

A rush of electricity went passed the group.

* * *

"Laxus wins!" Jason yelled. "Cool~!" He rolled his 'L's.' "Erza Scarlet comes in second! Gray Fullbuster is in third! COO~L!"

"Congratulations." Mira said.

"What's my prize?" Laxus asked, crossing his arms.

"Gloating rights!" Makarov replied happily. The Lightning Dragon Slayer felt the urge to slam his forehead into a tree, but held back.

"Natsu! Gajeel! Hurry up!" Lucy yelled as she and Lepus passed the finish line. Jet crossed the line a few milliseconds later with a sigh of defeat.

Soon, the rest of the guild rushed ahead of the two fighting Dragon Slayers; leaving them to be the last two to cross the line.

"Crap!" Natsu and Gajeel yelled at the same time, both running while throwing fists and pulling each other back. "Let me go!" They both yelled.

"Natsu!" Happy cheered.

After pulling and shoving, the two Dragon Slayers tripped, both of their foreheads skidding passed the finish line at the same time.

"Ready for your punishment?" Makarov asked with an evil grin.

"Again?" Gray snorted, crossing his arms.

"Lay it on me, old man." Gajeel grunted, standing up.

"Do your worse." Natsu sighed, still lying on the ground while Happy patted his head.

"You will be serving at 8-Island, free of charge, for one whole week." Makarov said, grinning.

"That's not so bad." Lucy whispered. Lepus and Levy nodded.

"You have to wear the woman's uniform and do a sexy dance every thirty minutes." Master finished. "Plus, Jason will be taking photos the entire week. Think of it like community service."

"Cool! Cool! Cool!" Jason yelled, fisting his hands.

"See you!" Natsu and Gajeel said, running away.

"Again?" Gray snorted.

"You did that, too, last time." Erza reminded.

"Maybe it's better this way." Lucy laughed. "We wouldn't want Yajima-san to go out of business."

"After a long twenty-four hours, I say we hang out at the pool behind the guildhall." Mira suggested with Asuka cheering beside her.

"Last one there is unmanly!" Elfman yelled, running towards the guild.

"How do you have that much energy?" Evergreen mumbled, walking calmly with her team.

"Mira-nee, tell me there's food and drinks ready in the guild." Lisanna sighed tiredly, hugging her sister to support her exhausted legs.

"Of course," Mira laughed. "Kinana has a buffet all set up."

"Cool! A Fairy Tail pool party! Cool!" Jason yelled, using the floating lacrima-camera to record every second.

* * *

"Don't eat and then swim right away." Bisca warned her daughter as the little girl trotted over to the pool.

"Aw, but mommy," Asuka pouted.

"It's dangerous." Alzack stepped in, picking up the girl and walking to the pool. "Here, just float in the inner tube." He gently placed her in the water, letting Asuka grab onto the floatation device.

"Lucy!" Natsu said excitedly, swimming over to the woman who was sitting on the edge of the pool, dangling her feet in the water.

"Yeah?" The Celestial mage questioned, her conversation with Levy coming to a halt.

"Play Chicken with me." Natsu said with a grin.

"No way! I have a feeling that it's going to hurt, knowing how you play games." Lucy whined, the Solid Script mage beside her snickered.

"Oh come, on." Natsu pouted. "Levy can partner up with Gajeel. It'll be fun!"

"Lu-chan is much stronger than me." The Solid Script mage protested. "The game won't last very long."

"Let's go find an opponent, then." Natsu said, turning around and putting his back on the pool wall. He then grabbed Lucy's legs and swung them over his shoulders, pulling her arms to tip her forward.

"Natsu!" Lucy gasped as he lifted her onto his shoulders.

"Gray!" The Fire Dragon Slayer yelled, ignoring the blonde. "Let's play Chicken!"

"You're on, fire breath." Gray hollered back. "Who wants to play Chicken?" The Ice Make mage asked his fellow guild mates.

"Juvia will play with Gray-sama!" Juvia said dreamily, jumping into the water to meet the Ice Make mage in the middle of the pool. The Water mage eagerly glided her hands over Gray's hard muscles. Admittedly, the touch lingered much longer than necessary before getting onto his shoulders.

"But Juvia is strong and I didn't want to play." Lucy cried softly, her hands being held captive in Natsu's so she didn't run away.

"You're going to lose, stripper!" Natsu declared.

"No way! Juvia is a Water mage for a reason." Gray countered. The two pairs got closer to each other.

"Juvia will not lose to love rival." Juvia said in determination.

"I'm not your love rival!" Lucy cried. Her hands were released from Natsu's, though he moved his hands to her thighs to hold her steadier, making the Celestial mage blush.

The Fairy Tail members looked on with interest. There was never a dull day at the guild.

"Go!" Mira yelled happily.

Juvia and Lucy locked hands, trying to over power the other and get pushed off their partner. Gray and Natsu were close enough to hit foreheads.

"Taking bets!" Cana yelled, holding up a stack of money. Behind the Card mage was a board with the two pairs and tally marks.

"I bet on Natsu and Lucy." Levy whispered, handing Cana a small amount of pocket change.

"I don't know, Shrimp. Juvia has never lost to bunny girl." Gajeel chuckled.

"We think Levy will win this one," Jet professed, Droy nodding in agreement.

"Hey! No one said we could use magic!" Lucy cried, wiping water away from her eyes as waves formed in the pool.

Asuka yelled in glee as she was swirled around. Bisca and Alzack looked over. Their daughter was fine; these were their family members, after all… Then again, these were their _Fairy Tail_ family members.

"No one said we couldn't." Gray laughed.

"Cheater," Natsu huffed.

"That's not cheating." The Ice Make mage replied calmly. Suddenly, a spout of water enveloped Lucy and Natsu, soaking them completely.

"We'll play it your way then." Lucy said evenly, her hair sticking to her face.

"Juvia is so scared, love rival." The Water mage taunted back playfully.

The blonde's right eye began to glow gold as she secretly drew a constellation behind her back.

"Aquarii." Lucy whispered. Waves started appearing in the pool, coming from behind the Celestial mage and Fire Dragon Slayer. The waves clashed with Juvia's waves that were manifesting behind the Water mage and Ice Make wizard.

The two woman locked hands again as the two men pushed forward.

"This is getting serious." Laki commented, noticing the water flow over the edge.

"It's probably Natsu's and Gray's influence on them." Nab sighed.

A splash and a gurgling sound made nearby members look over.

"There goes Jason." Max chuckled.

"Oui." Reedus sighed.

"I wonder what kind of stuff he'll write this time." Warren thought out loud. "Maybe 'Watch out for Fairy Tail's Pool of Doom.'"

The two pairs who were in the middle of a Chicken battle suddenly screamed as everyone tumbled into the pool. The water settled, making Asuka pout as she held on lightly to her inner tube. Jason popped up near where the two couples had been standing. The reporter rubbed the side of his body. Slamming into the legs of two Fairy Tail men hurt more than he originally thought.

"Cool!" Jason yelled, bringing up his camera and shaking water off of it before snapping a few pictures of the resurfacing wizards.

* * *

…Evening…

* * *

"So tired." Lucy sighed, stumbling in through her front door, hair still dripping wet. She went into her kitchen, but remembered she hadn't had the time to grocery shop yet. Looking through her cabinets, the Celestial mage found an unopened box of dried pasta and a sealed jar of marinara sauce.

Sighing in relief, Lucy grabbed a clean pot and put water into it, letting it sit on the stove to boil. Once it did, she started to pour a small portion of the pasta box's content into the pot.

"Lucy!" She heard from behind her, followed by the sounds of feet landing on the ground and a window closing.

She tipped the dried pasta box until all of its contents were in the pot of boiling water.

"Hey, Natsu." Lucy greeted as she stirred the pasta so all of it was underwater.

"Great, you're making dinner." Natsu sighed happily, sitting at the table.

"Where's Happy?" She asked when she didn't hear the high-pitched voice of the Exceed.

"He was already sleeping at home, so I came for a visit."

"I see." Lucy said absently, setting a timer. She got the canned sauce from the cabinet and checked the expiration date. It was a good thing canned goods lasted a while when unopened. "Open this for me, will you?" The blonde asked, turning around and softly tossing the glass jar, fully knowing her friend had quick reflexes.

Sure enough, Natsu caught the jar, easily opening it.

She hummed as she went through her fridge as she waited for the timer to go off. Lucy desperately needed to do some cleaning. There was nearly year-old food in the fridge. Gross!

"Where do you want this?" He asked, suddenly close to her. She jumped slightly. Man, he had light footsteps.

"On the counter is fine."

They were silent.

Not knowing what to do with himself, Natsu went back to his seat at the table. He felt awkward for some reason, though it looked like Lucy didn't seem to notice as she grabbed things from her fridge and tossed them in a garbage bag.

Silence.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something, the timer went off. The Celestial mage abandoned her fridge, closing its door. She quickly shut off the timer and took the pot carefully to the sink, straining the noodles.

"Lucy," Natsu tried again.

"Hm?"

"I…" He said slowly. He came here for a reason. He left Happy behind at the house for a reason!

"You…?" Lucy asked, looking over her shoulder briefly before going back to her task. She poured the noodles into two bowls, one bowl significantly larger than the other.

"I…" He coughed. "Have something to tell you."

Lucy turned around to see what had gotten her team member so flustered. She stared into his dark eyes questioningly.

"I… Lo-…" He stuttered, gulping down a lump in his throat. She had the prettiest brown eyes… Focus! Why was confessing so hard?!

Natsu Dragneel was not a coward!

"I l-lo…"


	31. The Blonde Squad

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty-One: The Blonde Squad

* * *

"I lo-ike fire!" The Fire Dragon Slayer screamed, startling poor Lucy.

Natsu Dragneel was a romantic coward.

"Uh-huh," She replied slowly, opening a drawer to get a lighter. "I didn't think that would change over the year…" Lucy drawled out, setting the pasta in the bigger bowl on fire. "Here."

"Thanks," He whispered, digging in rapidly. Lucy sat down with her smaller bowl and stared in shock. Was it her or was he eating faster than normal? The normal speed was pretty fast already, but this? Natsu finished his meal and stood up, making the chair scrape against the floor. "I'll see you tomorrow at the guild!" He yelled, running to the window and hopping out.

The blonde blinked in confusion. She hadn't even taken a bite from her dinner, yet.

What just happened?

* * *

…Morning…

* * *

"What did you call me here for, so early in the morning, gramps?" Laxus asked, crossing his arms as he walked through the guild's doors.

"Good morning, Laxus." Master Makarov greeted, lifting up a mug of ale.

"Morning," Mira sang, helping Kinana wipe down some mugs. The Lightning Dragon Slayer nodded his head at them.

"So, gramps?" Laxus questioned.

"I've been thinking," Makarov said slowly. "It's about time we train the other children to become S-Class."

"Train?"

"As an S-Class mage," Makarov said seriously. "You will be taking one of the others out on an S-Class mission."

"You sure that's safe?" The Lightning Dragon Slayer asked.

"You'll take care of our own, won't you?" Master said with a grin.

"Besides, isn't it fun to work with others, once in a while?" Mira asked from behind the counter.

"If you say so." Laxus replied.

"You're the first one up." Makarov said happily. "Next person that arrives will be the person you will take on the mission."

"I'm taking the person after." Mirajane informed, finishing up the mugs. "And Erza will take the third person to arrive."

"I'll do my best to work for the both of us." Kinana said softly.

"You'll be fine." Mira encouraged.

"Where is Erza?" Makarov asked. "She was here a second ago."

"She went into the kitchen." Kinana answered. Everyone knew what the Re-quip mage went in there for.

"All right." Laxus exhaled, holding out his hand. "What's the mission?"

"Here," Makarov said, handing his grandson one of the sheets that was laid out on the table.

"Mountain animals coming down to feast in town." Laxus read out loud.

"Find out why and fix it." Makarov added.

"This is an S-Class mission?" The Lightning Dragon Slayer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I picked the easier ones for you three, today, but whatever is in the mountains has scared away every animal living there. Don't let your guard down." Master warned. Laxus nodded in understanding.

* * *

"There's no food." Lucy sighed, closing her kitchen cabinets. "I'll just go to the guild, and go to the store after." She said in determination and walked out the door.

"Lucy-chan, be careful!" A man yelled from his boat.

"It's all right!" Lucy reassured, balancing precariously on the edge of the canal.

The Celestial mage hummed happily. Today was the first day she was back at Magnolia without any time consuming plans. Lucy put a finger to her chin. What should she do first? She'll see if Levy is at the guild, and maybe they could visit the bookstore? Oh! Maybe she'll get Natsu to show her all of the places they used to hang out at – then again, after yesterday, maybe not.

As she thought of all of the possibilities the day held, Lucy pushed opened the door to her guild. It was early, just past seven in the morning. She didn't expect too many of her guild mates to be awake yet.

"Good morni- oh, that's pretty unfortunate." Mirajane said once she saw whom was at the door.

"Good morning?" The Celestial mage questioned.

"I was hoping you'd get to spend some time with Natsu today." The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage sighed dreamily. Lucy tilted her head in confusion.

"You're not usually here so early." Erza commented, walking over to the blonde.

"I don't have food at my place, so I thought I'd see if Mira or Kinana could make me something?" Lucy answered sheepishly.

"You sure, gramps?" Laxus asked quietly, shifting his eyes to his grandfather. Makarov nodded firmly.

"What?" Lucy asked, slowly moving towards the bar.

"We'll get some breakfast packed up for you." Kinana said cheerfully, going into the kitchen.

"Packed up?"

"You should go home and get some supplies." Mira said.

"For what? Why isn't anyone answering me directly?" Lucy whined.

"We're going on an S-Class mission." Laxus said coolly, crossing his arms. The Celestial mage blinked.

"Us?" Lucy asked skeptically, motioning her finger between the two of them.

"We're doing some training," Erza said, putting a hand on Lucy's back and pushing the younger girl towards the door.

"Training?" Lucy whispered, looking at Laxus. She had never worked on a mission with him before.

"Yes. Training out in the field." The Re-quip mage answered. "Go home and pack up some supplies. Laxus will meet you here." Without another word, the red head pushed Lucy out the door.

"Was that someone you were hoping for, gramps?" Laxus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They've never worked together, at least not that I have seen." Mirajane said softly, walking over to the group. The Lightning Dragon Slayer confirmed her suspicions with a shake of his head.

"I was hoping to give Lucy a break," Makarov sighed. "But we won't make exceptions. She'll need to learn eventually."

"Lucy is easy to work with." Erza commented, leaning her hip on a table as she stood.

"She has always been good at adapting to situations." Mirajane added. Laxus nodded.

"Make sure nothing happens to her." The Re-quip wizard warned.

"Just protect your own charge, Titania." Laxus retorted calmly.

"Now, children," Makarov cut in before taking a sip of his morning ale. "We protect our own here, don't we?"

"Of course, Master." Mira answered with a sweet smile.

"Um," A hesitant call sounded from the slightly opened door. "I'm ready… I think."

"Just in time," Kinana said, coming out of the kitchen with a little cloth bag. "Here's your breakfast."

"Thanks a bunch, Kinana." Lucy said gratefully, taking the bag from the barmaid.

"Good luck, Lucy." Mira said.

"Be careful," Erza said, patting the Celestial mage on the shoulder. "I believe in you."

"She'll be fine." Makarov said matter-of-factly. "Show Laxus what you've got."

"Right," Lucy drawled out nervously.

"Let's go, kiddo." The Lightning Dragon Slayer said, picking up his travel bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Bye!" The Celestial mage called back as she followed her superior outside.

"I bet Natsu will be mad." Mirajane said once they were well away from the guild.

"Probably," Makarov sighed. "Kinana, better prepare the extinguisher and the hose."

"Right away." Kinana replied, going towards the back door.

"Assuming he isn't second or third to come in." Erza exhaled, sitting down at the table.

"Natsu doesn't usually come to the guild so early." Mira informed as she stared at the ceiling in thought. "Maybe he's fishing with Happy?"

"Or he'd visit Lucy." Erza and Mira said in harmony.

* * *

Lucy cleared her throat nervously before speaking, "So, where are we going?"

"Clover town." Laxus replied. "Then we take a carriage west." The Celestial mage nodded her head in understanding.

Silence.

Lucy shifted her eyes to stare at him. He seemed unaffected by this awkward atmosphere. Maybe it was just her. The silence continued.

"What will we be doing?"

"Animals are coming down from the mountain to eat and pilfer the towns. We're supposed to find out why and stop it."

She nodded again.

Silence.

The Celestial mage had the urge to sigh, but held it in. Laxus had a dragon's superior hearing ability; he'd definitely catch it, and who knows how uncomfortable it would be afterwards. She never realized that she could feel awkward with anyone in her Fairy Tail family. Besides, she got along well with the rest of the Thunder God Tribe! Though, Laxus was more imposing than the others. Not saying that they weren't strong, but this was Laxus she was talking about! Now that she thought about it, she didn't think she and Laxus had ever had a one-on-one conversation.

He tilted his head a bit to look over at the shorter girl. Laxus sighed internally. He hoped nothing too crazy happened. They just got this girl back, after all. It was too bad that anything goes for S-Class missions.

Eventually, the pair made it to the train station. They sat down, facing each other on the benches.

He felt it already; the curse that came along with Dragon Slaying magic. The train was slightly vibrating as it waited in the station. Laxus felt _every_ tremor. The scent of food wafted into his nose. He tried to seem unaffected as he looked over. Lucy had opened up the bento box Kinana prepared. The train started moving. He _really_ felt the motion sickness kick in now.

"Oh, sorry." Lucy apologized, slowly closing the box back up. "I didn't realize you got motion sickness, too."

"Go ahead and eat." Laxus replied, though his voice was weaker than usual.

"When I feel nauseous, the smell of food makes me more sick. It's all right, I can wait."

Laxus slightly lifted an eyebrow, but didn't comment further. He crossed his arms, and then his legs before closing his eyes.

The Celestial mage stared at him for another few seconds before looking out of the window. Looked like they were going to be spending their time on the train in silence. She felt the urge to sigh again. Curse her kind personality! Lucy was starving. She looked back to her partner for the day. Was it her, or was the usually strong and intimidating Lightning Dragon Slayer turning more and more blue?

Lucy smiled, giggling in her mind. He and the other Dragon Slayers weren't so different, after all.

* * *

"What?!" Natsu yelled. "Why?!"

"Calm down, hot head. Gramps already explained." Gray sighed, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat.

"She'll be fine, Natsu. Laxus is with her." Makarov reassured, once again.

"She's on an S-Class mission!" Natsu groaned, running a hand down his face.

"S-Class wizards usually go out on their own to do S-Class missions. Have a little faith." Kinana commented lightly, handing Master another mug of ale.

"Can I take an S-Class mission?" Natsu asked evenly.

"You are not ready to go alone," Makarov stated, taking a sip of his drink. "And you may not follow them."

"Damn." The Fire Dragon Slayer muttered under his breath.

"Didn't seriously think that would work, did you?" Gray asked from his table nearby.

"Got any better ideas, ice cream?" Natsu growled.

"Of course!" The Ice Make mage retorted.

"I can hear you." Master grumbled with an annoyed tick.

"You can go on a regular mission to pass the time." Kinana suggested.

Natsu sighed loudly, plopping down on the other side of Gray's table. He laid his head in his arms.

"Don't have a team." The Fire Dragon Slayer mumbled.

"What did you do before Lucy came along?" Gray chuckled.

"Gray is still here. You have a team." Kinana said in confusion. "Although, I think Wendy went out with Charle to shop in town."

"We weren't a team by choice." The two boys said in unison. The purple haired barmaid giggled lightly at their response.

"Take Happy, Gajeel, and Lily with you." Makarov suggested. "Gajeel is sulking that Levy went with Mirajane."

"How about Jet and Droy?" Kinana questioned amusedly, seeing the two aforementioned boys brooding in the corner of the guild.

"Take them, too. It'll be the same size as your regular team." Makarov said with a shrug.

"Okay." Natsu exhaled, getting up to get a mission. A hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"You get the others, _I'll_ get the job." Gray cut in. "Knowing you, you'll choose a dumb one with only a huge monster to fight."

"What, ice prick?" Natsu growled, pushing his forehead against his rival.

"You heard me!" Gray retorted. Soon, a fistfight broke out between them.

"At least Natsu got his mind off of Lucy." Kinana laughed, going back to wiping down the bar.

* * *

"Want some?" Lucy asked, showing the Lightning Dragon Slayer the bento box.

"No thanks." Laxus replied, leaning back against the bench they were sitting on. The Celestial mage nodded, beginning to slowly eat her breakfast.

Currently, they were waiting for a carriage to pick them up and take them towards the town near the mountainside. The last two carriage drivers refused, fearing what lay in the towns near there. Minutes passed by.

Laxus patiently waited until his current partner finished eating. At this rate, it didn't seem like anyone was willing to travel to where they needed to go. Once Lucy put the bento box back inside its bag, he waited five more minutes before speaking, "Let's get going."

"We're walking?" She gasped, standing up when he did. "You sound a lot like Natsu."

"Tch," Laxus scoffed lightly, beginning to walk. "Don't tell him."

"Of course not." Lucy laughed lightly. "How far is the town, anyways?"

"One to two hours, at most, when walking."

The Celestial mage felt the urge to sigh _again_.

* * *

"Master?" Warren questioned. Makarov looked over. "Are you sure sending those guys out on a mission was such a good idea?"

"Gray, Natsu, and Gajeel together." Nab hummed. "Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."

"Probably." Makarov mumbled.

"Then why…?" Warren drawled out.

"No parent would want to see their child mope around the house." Makarov said.

"But wouldn't it be funny to watch?" Lisanna giggled, helping Kinana wipe down a table.

"Gray-sama left Juvia!" The Water mage cried, pouring water onto the guild floor and making a sizeable puddle. "Gray-sama!"

Nab and Warren looked at each other and blinked.

* * *

"Erza, let's take a break." Max huffed, leaning against a large boulder.

"Sure." Erza conceded, not the least bit out of breath after hiking up and down sandy hills for most of the morning. She took out a picnic basket from her cart of luggage and laid out a blanket. "Let's have a picnic."

"Picnic?" Max questioned, slowly going to sit on the blanket.

"It has been a dream of mine to have a picnic." The Re-quip wizard said gleefully.

"Right," He chuckled nervously. The red haired woman started rapidly pulling out sandwiches, salads, rice balls, an entire cake, lemonade, plates, utensils, and cups. Max raised an eyebrow; that all came from one picnic basket? "You'll make someone a good wife, one day." He trailed off. Erza blushed crimson.

"Y-you th-think so?" She squeaked uncharacteristically. Erza was never one to talk about romance confidently.

"Of course."

The picnic would've been perfect… If the sun wasn't blazing hot and the area didn't look like a desert without any civilization for miles. Max swore he saw a tumbleweed roll by.

"So, what is this S-Class mission, exactly?" Max asked having a hard time swallowing the sandwich he bit into. Did he taste burnt mayonnaise? How did that happen? Usually, Erza was a decent chef. The sandwich was probably baking in that basket in the hot sun… Yeah, that was it.

"Rescuing some archaeologists from ancient ruins." Erza replied without an ounce of worry.

"Let me guess, they tripped some kind of deathly trap our ancestors made to protect the place." He joked.

"Probably."

Max felt his eye twitch.

* * *

Lucy looked around the area. In one part of town, buildings were partly destroyed and blood painted the streets. In the other part of town, everything was perfectly normal. She and Laxus were walking deeper into the town, slowly moving towards the destroyed part.

Eventually, the two of them made it to a mansion, just at the border between the two sceneries, on the untouched side. So this was where their client resided. It was typical that the destruction stopped just before the fancy mansion. Laxus knocked on the door.

"How may I help you?" A man in a suit asked when he answered the door.

"We're from Fairy Tail. Our client should be here." The Lightning Dragon Slayer said.

"Oh, yes. Right this way. Master Gruffud has been waiting for you arrival." The butler said, letting the two wizards inside. They followed the man towards the center of the house. The butler knocked on large wooden doors. They waited until a reply was heard. "Master Gruffud, the Fairy Tail wizards have arrived."

"Welcome to Oxwich!" Robert Gruffud said cheerfully. Laxus and Lucy didn't reply. What kind of mayor was so chipper after half of his town was slaughtered and destroyed? The mayor gestured to the seats in front of his desk. "I'm sure you saw what happened outside. The animals are getting restless. I want you to get rid of all of them."

"Get rid of all of them?" The Lightning Dragon Slayer repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Find whatever is in the mountains or get rid of them." The mayor huffed. "But killing some animals seems like an easier job than destroying a monster up in the mountains, don't you think?"

"We'll decide if it's too difficult." Laxus argued, though his tone didn't change.

"I don't care how you do it, just get rid of the animals before my town becomes deserted." Robert said flippantly.

Deserted, Lucy thought to herself. Why did that term feel wrong? Shouldn't the mayor be more concerned about people dying than leaving?

"We should get started, then." Laxus replied, standing up. The Celestial mage quickly followed.

"I've always wanted to give someone a code name." The mayor chuckled, his happy-go-lucky attitude returning. "Why not call yourselves the Blonde Squad?"

"Whatever you wish, sir." The Lightning Dragon Slayer commented a bit sarcastically as he turned his back to the mayor, walking out of the study. Lucy didn't dare look back.

"Master Gruffud has arranged lodgings at the local inn for you to rest during your stay here." The butler informed as he led them back to the front door.

Laxus didn't feel the need to reply, so Lucy stuttered out one for them, "Thank you for you hospitality."

"Of course, dear." The butler said. "Take the next left and walk straight until you see the inn. Have a good day."

The two mages nodded their heads in goodbye before taking their leave.

"Notice something weird in there?" Laxus asked once they were a good distance away.

"Definitely."

"Keep your guard up."

The Celestial mage nodded in understanding. This wasn't an S-Class mission for nothing.

* * *

"Come on, Levy! You can do it!" Mira encouraged from the sidelines, her perfect, pink dress fluttering in the breeze.

"Oof!" The Solid Script mage grunted as she was tossed onto the ground. She quickly got her bearings back. "Solid Script: Fire!"

The huge monster in front of her roared in pain. It shook the sensation off and ran towards Levy at a lightning-fast speed. The blue haired woman scrambled to get away, using a Light Script to blind the creature temporarily. Levy screamed again as she was picked up, her small body being crushed in the monster's hand.

It was a typically S-Class kind of monster – an experiment gone wrong. Mira named this one Spider Lady. Spider Lady had a human body, and a human head with long, greasy, unkempt hair. She had four _super_ long legs that made her at least thirty feet tall, and two arms that were about the same length as the legs, though they had hands attached to them. The hands were also equipped with long fingers that were crushing Levy, at the moment.

"Cosmic Beam!" Mirajane yelled. Pink-colored magic shot through the arm holding her partner hostage. The Take-Over mage quickly flew over to Levy and grabbed her as the Solid Script mage started to fall. Mirajane appeared in front of the monster in her Halphas form, glaring at it.

"Thanks," Levy sighed in relief in Mirajane's arms.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

The Take Over mage started to slowly lower them back to the ground. She quickly held up her hand, creating a black disc that deflected all incoming attacks.

"Can you keep going?" Mira asked.

"I'm okay." Levy reassured, standing up on her own. The white haired wizard nodded, shooting out another Cosmic Beam. "Solid Script: Lightning!"

* * *

"Someone help!" Droy yelled as he ran, albeit slowly, away from a giant plant monster with teeth.

"You're a Plant wizard!" Jet huffed, running in and kicking the monster in its head, closing its jaw.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu yelled.

"Watch where you're aiming!" Gajeel yelled, hitting a different plant monster in the jaw with an Iron Club.

"Watch your own monster! This one's mine!" Natsu growled.

"Ice Make: Death Scythe!" Gray said as he swung his large weapon at another one, severing its flowery head from the stem.

"Someone help us!" Jet and Droy pleaded as they were trapped together in some vines and lifted high into the air.

"Ah!" Happy cried, flying at top speed to avoid becoming a chew toy. His tail was just in range of being bitten off.

Pantherlily growled as he got in between the blue Exceed and the plant. He had transformed into his larger self, using his Busterman sword to wedge between the plant's teeth and let Happy's tail go damage free.

"Stay out of my way, Salamander!" Gajeel growled, absently shooting Demon Logs to the right.

"No, you stay out of mine!" Natsu retorted, using his Grip Strike attack on the monster he held in his hand.

Gray was suddenly flung into the Dragon Slayers, making the entire group fall to the ground and tangle limbs.

"Are you guys okay?" Happy asked, floating above them. His only replies were groans of pain.

* * *

"You know, you never did tell us why you went off to train." Laxus said absently as he searched the city for clues.

"W-well, it's not like there was ever a chance." Lucy argued. "We got back from the Games, had this _huge_ party – which I had to spend the whole next day recovering from, by the way – and then Master made us run the Twenty-Four Hour Race." The Lightning Dragon Slayer nodded, accepting the excuses. For some reason, Lucy felt like she should sigh in relief. "You want to know the reason?"

"Sure," He replied with a shrug. She walked a bit ahead of him, keeping her back to the Dragon Slayer.

"We're all going to die."

Laxus stopped in his tracks. Lucy took a few extra steps before stopping, as well.

"That's a bad joke."

"Can't pull one over you." She said lightly, turning to smile at him. Lucy turned back to the path ahead of them, her smile fading. "Shall we keep going?"

The S-Class mage silently led her to parts unknown. He seemed like he was heading somewhere specific, but the Celestial mage didn't know. In her peripheral vision, Lucy saw something get dragged into the alley.

She began to look over but got stopped by her partner, "Don't look there."

"Why?"

"Unless you want to see someone get eaten, I doubt you'd want to look." Laxus said emotionlessly, keeping his eyes forward.

"Then shouldn't we hel-"

"They're already dead."

"Oh…" She whispered, keeping her eyes averted towards the ground.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, even in the animal world." The Lightning Dragon Slayer said, turning his head to stare up the mountain.

"What do you think is up there?"

"Tch," He scoffed, turning into a little café. "Something that crooked mayor cooked up, probably."

"Should we go have a look?"

"It's going to be sundown in a few hours. Best we get up early in the morning to check it out, incase we run into trouble. You don't want to be fighting in the dark, do you?"

"You're the boss for a reason." Lucy agreed, sitting down at the table Laxus did. He rolled his eyes at her comment, picking up the menu.

* * *

"Sand Rebellion!" Max yelled, creating a large sand tornado. The sand easily lifted away fallen columns, clearing a path. "Go, quickly!" He instructed the six archaeologists.

"Thank you." One yelled back as they high tailed down the corridor leading to the exit.

The Sand wizard looked back when he heard metal clash against metal. Erza was dueling with a skeleton that held a beaten up sword. Though it didn't look strong, the skeleton was pushing the Re-quip mage back, making her go on the defensive.

"Max! Go!" Erza commanded, jumping back to get her footing. "I'll handle this."

"All right." He agreed uneasily, running the same way the archaeologists did. Max suddenly saw one of them run back towards him. "Where are you going?"

"That's the artifact we were after!" The archaeologist insisted, running passed the Sand mage.

"Hey! Get back here!" Max yelled, following after the short and plump man. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Don't damage it!" The archaeologists huffed, getting near the battle. "It's a priceless artifact!"

"Are you kidding?" Max hissed, creating sinking sand under the angered skeleton. He was too late; the 'priceless artifact' was about to pierce the plump man right in the heart. Blood splattered onto the broken floor. "Erza!"

"Get him out." The Re-quip mage hissed in pain, standing up and holding her abdomen. Max nodded in understanding, using his sand to trap the archaeologist and move him.

"Hey! Let go! I want that artifact!"

Max felt like pulling out his hair.

* * *

"That's the last of them." Gray said, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Finally." Natsu grumbled, hopping down from the monster he just defeated.

"Man, these things weren't even tough!" Gajeel complained, cracking his knuckles.

"At least my tail didn't get eaten." Happy said cheerfully, clutching his tail in his paws.

"Is everyone accounted for?" Lily asked, flying over in his smaller form. The group blinked.

"Where are Jet and Droy?" They asked together.

"Help…" A muffled cry came from the distance. The group looked around, spotting neither red hair nor black hair. "Help…!"

"Where are you guys?" Gray yelled.

"Underground!" Jet's muffled outcry echoed out of the earth.

"How the hell did you guys get down there?" Gajeel asked, using his sensitive hearing to pin point the two of them.

"Here," Lily said, floating over a spot in the ground. The earth was smooth and untouched.

"Are you sure?" Happy asked, landing on the ground and putting his ear against the dirt.

"Hurry! This is my worst fear coming true!" Droy yelled. Guess no one wanted to be buried alive.

"Hold on." Natsu said, lighting his fist on fire.

"Are you trying to cook them down there, fire bastard?" Gray cut in. "This will work much better."

"Are you trying to skewer them?" Natsu retorted, seeing the ice drill above the spot.

"You know what, just go get some of the towns people!" Jet complained.

"You're going to run out of air soon, you know." Gajeel said. "Gi-hee, hold on," The Iron Dragon Slayer smirked, transforming his hand into a jackhammer.

"I don't think that's the right tool, either." Pantherlily commented.

"Droy! Don't breath so much so fast! You're taking up the oxygen!" Jet warned.

"I'm panicking! I'm sorry!" Droy said, having a bit of a panic attack.

"All right, hold on." Gray reassured, making a normal sized ice shovel.

"Fine," Gajeel sighed, turning both of his arms into shovels as well. "This isn't the fun way." He grumbled under his breath.

"You're not going to help, Natsu?" Happy asked, flying to land on the Fire Dragon Slayer's head.

"You warm enough down there?" Natsu yelled towards the ground.

"I'm boiling!" The two Shadow Gear team members said.

"See? I'm no help." Natsu said with a shrug. "And Gray won't let me barbecue them."

"Hey!" Droy and Jet hissed.

It took less than two minutes to dig the two of them out. Jet and Droy laid on the ground, taking in sweet, sweet air and freedom.

"How'd you get down there, in the first place?" Gray asked curiously, leaning his elbow on the ice shovel.

"We got caught." The Speed mage and Plant mage sighed simultaneously. "It ate us."

"And you ended up in the ground?" Lily questioned.

"We went through its stem and then the roots." Droy explained.

"I will never look at a flower the same way, ever again." Jet mumbled.

"Now that that's all done," Natsu started to say, stretching his arms to put behind his head. "Let's go home. I want to see if Lucy is back."

"Let's go get our payment first, forest fire." Gray reminded, walking towards the city.

"What's that, blizzard?" The Fire Dragon Slayer growled.

"Can we walk home?" Gajeel asked, also starting to walk.

"I think I'll stick with Shadow Gear." Jet whispered to his usual partner.

"Me too." Droy whispered back.

* * *

"Good work today, Levy." Mira praised as she lightly fixed her bangs. "You're on the right track to S-Class, for sure."

"Thanks," Levy exhaled in exhaustion.

The earth shook underneath the two Fairy Tail wizards. They looked up and saw another Spider Lady, though this one was bigger.

"Oh, there's another one." Mira said as if it weren't a big deal.

"Don't say it so casually!" Levy complained. The earth shook a bit more.

"And the other children are here."

"Mira," Levy sighed. "Mira!" She gasped next when the Take-Over mage was shot with something. She looked over and saw her partner attached to a tree with a clump of spider web.

Spider Mother gave a high-pitched scream. Levy turned just in time to see that the Spider Mother and other Spider Ladies were preparing some kind of sphere. Why did she get the feeling that that was going to hurt?

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me!" Max yelled, drowning in a pit of sand. "Sand Column!" His magic burst forward. A solid sand structure appeared underneath Max, pushing him out of the trap. "Scientist guy!"

The archaeologist was head first in the sand trap. Max quickly ran over and pulled on the man's stubby legs. Once the man was free, another trap activated. Sharp, stone spears appeared from the ceiling and started falling. The Sand mage quickly made a sand barrier, making the sand shift in one direction to send the weapons off course.

"Re-quip: Purgatory Armor!" Erza yelled in determination, swinging her sword to counter the walking skeleton. More skeletons started appearing, crowding the red haired mage and burying her in a dog pile.

"Erza!" Max yelled in alarm. He suddenly heard the wall beside him started to shift, revealing other stone spears. "Give me a break!"

* * *

…Morning…

* * *

The Blonde Squad carefully trekked up the mountainside, cautiously eyeing their surroundings. Nothing was out of the ordinary, until they made it to the top of the hill. From the distance they were at, the other mountain peak looked desolate. The trees had all turned brown; some toppling over after the trunk had decayed too much to support the weight of the branches.

"There's a building up there." Laxus informed, his Dragon Sight far superior to Lucy's regular vision.

"What are we waiting for, then?" Lucy asked, sliding down the mountain a bit before carefully taking some steps forward.

"Careful. Just because a lot of the animals left the mountain, doesn't mean there aren't some still here."

"I'll be careful." She replied, holding onto a tree trunk as she waited for him to come down with her. She would've asked Draco to fly her over, but the only problem with that was alerting the already frightened animals. Her other flying Spirits would most likely have the same effects on the creatures. They were called 'beasts' for a reason.

Eventually, the duo made it to the desolated area. The air was turned rancid, to put things lightly. The ground was bone dry, cracking all around them.

Laxus grunted out in pain as he knelt to the ground. Lucy's eyes widened when she saw the bear-trap now attached to his leg. Where had that come from?

"Invisibility Spell." He hissed, putting his fingers carefully between the teeth and started prying.

"They're everywhere." She said in surprise once she started to notice the small magic signatures coming from certain areas. "Let me help you." The Celestial mage said, kneeling beside him.

"You'll just get hurt." Laxus argued, not allowing her to get close to the trap. "Better me, than you. Would've snapped your foot right off." Lucy looked down to his calf and then at hers. He was probably right.

"A squirrel." She whispered when she noticed the creature carefully scamper across the ground. It sniffed the ground, probably trying to find the food it stored for emergencies.

A red light shined from the ground.

Lucy screamed. A landmine was set off. The explosion sent her body careening back down the mountainside. Laxus grunted as his body was pushed to the ground, the bear-trap holding him in place.

"Lucy!" Laxus yelled. Fuck! He was in charge of protecting that girl!

An alarm started to blare. A garage door on the building opened up, revealing a white colored portal. Various creatures started to walk out, roaring as they went.

Perfect.


	32. Traumatized

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Two: Traumatized

* * *

…Afternoon…

* * *

"Levy! You're back!" Droy and Jet yelled happily. The Solid Script wizard tiredly stepped through the guild doors, Mira just behind her.

"How'd it go?" Master asked with a grin.

Levy answered with a loud sigh, dropping her travel bag to the ground. She sat on a bench and put her head on the table in front of her.

"It went well, Master." The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage giggled lightly, walking over to her usual spot behind the bar.

"Erza, Max, welcome home." Kinana greeted as she passed by the door.

"How'd it go?" Makarov asked again, another grin in place.

Max went to Levy's table, getting in the same position as the Solid Script mage.

"Completed the job with minimal injuries, Master." Erza answered.

"I think I'll take a pass on the next S-Class exams." Levy mumbled, propping her head up.

"Respect." Max declared, holding up his hand.

"I think they were traumatized." Lisanna whispered to her table.

"Oh my," Mira giggled, helping Kinana make drinks. The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage didn't seem out of energy.

"Do you have any cake?" Erza asked. Levy and Max looked over. The two S-Class wizards seemed as though the last job didn't affect them.

"I think I'll sleep right here." Max sighed. "I don't have the energy to walk home."

"Me neither." Levy said softly.

"Should we carry you home?" Jet offered.

"Yeah, you'll be way more comfortable in your bed." Droy added.

"Come on, shrimp." Gajeel cut in suddenly, picking up the little blue haired wizard and slinging her over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Levy yelled in surprise.

"Don't carry her like a sack of potatoes!" Droy complained. "She should be treated like a lady should be treated."

The Iron Dragon Slayer just rolled his eyes, picking up Levy's bag with his other hand and walking out of the guild. Droy and Jet stood in the guild, a bit lost.

"Hey, if these guys are home, where's Lucy?" Natsu asked, perking up instantly from his nap against a support beam.

"Not here yet." Gray replied evenly, carefully studying the playing cards in his hand. Juvia sat next to him, staring at his face rather than her own cards.

"What's taking her so long?" The Fire Dragon Slayer grumbled, crossing his arms.

"She'll be here when they finish their work, Natsu." Mira commented. "Don't worry so much."

"Besides, Lucy has experienced an S-Class mission before." Gray commented absently, squinting his eyes at his cards. The Ice Make mage felt a threatening aura behind him and slowly turned around.

"And you'll never do it again, right?" Master asked.

"N-No, sir." Gray whimpered.

"That goes double for you, Natsu." Makarov said in an intimidating voice, turning to the slouched Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Sure, gramps." Natsu replied with a grin.

"Full house!" Cana exclaimed, slamming down her cards.

"Damn it." Gray grumbled, tossing his cards down, as well.

Erza sighed from her seat at the bar. Her team was really just… She didn't even know anymore.

From her table, Wendy looked at Charle with questioning eyes. The white Exceed shrugged, not knowing what they were talking about, either.

* * *

"Lightning Dragon's Roar!" Laxus yelled. His attack wiped out the monsters in front of him. Instantly, more took their place. He growled.

Great. He had to find _two_ summoners now. He decided he was going to absolutely rip apart the one sending so many monsters out to play. Laxus sent another attack to his right while punching the monster to his left. He'd have to find Lucy quickly. They've been separated for hours, now.

The monsters weren't letting him near the building. It was good that they weren't exceedingly strong, however, there were many. As much as it irritated him, he knew his best option was to retreat and regroup. Laxus yelled out another Lightning Dragon's Roar, clearing a path. He should've known that they weren't going to let him go easily. The monsters followed him down the mountain.

Just how much magic did this summoner have?

* * *

"Ouchy." Lucy whimpered, carefully walking forward. She had taken a tumble when her body was thrown down the mountainside. Her leg throbbed painfully. The Celestial Wizard looked behind her, spotting the monsters trying to sniff out her scent. She re-quipped into her white cloak, summoning a golden key to her hand, as well. "Open, Gate of the Archer, Sagittarius."

"Hello, hello." Sagittarius saluted.

"Over there." Lucy informed, looking at the monsters. The Celestial Spirit nodded, nocking an arrow. He shot it off. The arrow split into many other arrows, precisely hitting each monster.

"Can you walk?" Sagittarius asked.

"I'm okay." Lucy gritted out. "We have to go find Laxus."

"Princess."

"You came out on your own again, Virgo." Lucy laughed breathily.

"If I may, you're in no condition to be running from these creatures." Virgo informed monotonously. "Behind you."

Lucy looked over her shoulder. She saw a large humanoid monster standing over her. An arrow zoomed across her field of vision, hitting the monster square in the chest and pushing it back.

"Thanks." Lucy said gratefully. She got her balance and started to walk forward.

"Allow me, princess." Virgo said, lifting up her owner bridal style.

"Virgo!" Lucy gasped, clinging onto the woman's shoulders.

"I'll keep a look out, thus hello." Sagittarius declared, saluting once more.

The small group walked across the mountain's tough terrain. Sagittarius shot down a monster every so often, though it was clear they were getting farther from the building. Which also meant they were further from Laxus. Eventually, Virgo found a small cave they could rest at. The Spirit of the Maiden laid her owner against the wall.

Lucy panted in pain as she leaned her head against the damp rocks. She, most definitely, broke something in her leg. Biting her lip, she began to summon a spell.

"Capricorni." The Celestial mage whispered, allowing the spell to mend her bones back together. Although she was now able to run, a chunk of magic had been depleted.

As much as she wanted to rest, Lucy knew they didn't have that luxury. They'd have to keep moving before the monsters decided to come down the mountain looking for them. She didn't want the townspeople to be any more of a target than they already were. Plus, she still had to find Laxus.

He was probably all right, right? He was an S-Class wizard for a reason.

* * *

"Gajeel! You big brute!" Levy complained, kicking her legs. "Put me down!"

"Quiet, shrimp, you're yelling in my ear." Gajeel grumbled. "I would stop moving, too."

"Because you'll drop me? Great." She replied with a huff, wiggling even more.

"I was going to say 'flash your panties at everyone in Magnolia.'"

The Solid Script mage became as still as a statue. Gajeel chuckled. He ignored the looks they were getting from the townspeople. Though it had been seven years, and he was a full-fledged member of Fairy Tail now, some people still gave him wary looks. He guessed he couldn't blame them. The girl on his shoulder took a bit of a beating from him.

"Gajeel?" Levy whispered. He had gone quiet all of a sudden. "Something wr-"

"We're here, shrimp." The Iron Dragon Slayer cut in. She peaked around his back, seeing Fairy Hills in front of them. "Which one's your room?"

"Y-You're going to go in there?" Levy gasped, holding onto the back of his shirt. "That's against the rules!"

"As if that ever stopped me." He chuckled, walking inside. He used his sense of smell to figure out where the girl lived, carefully checking each hallway.

"Gajeel!" She complained. Levy squirmed even more when she realized they were in front of her door. Gajeel started to lift his leg to kick it down. "Wait! The key is in my bag. Don't just break people's door down!"

The Iron Dragon Slayer rolled his eyes. He rummaged through her bag, all the while keeping the little blue haired wizard steady on his shoulder. Gajeel shoved the key into the lock and opening the door to reveal bookshelves upon bookshelves. There was not an open spot in sight. Books even piled on the top of the shelves.

"You have a serious addiction." He mumbled, stepping inside.

"Hey! Reading is fun!" Levy started to argue, but her breath was knocked out of her lungs when he tossed her onto her bed. He was standing over her. She looked into his red eyes and started to blush.

She was in her bedroom with Gajeel. Alone. The front door was locked and all of her neighbors were at the guild. Levy swallowed a nervous lump in her throat. Was he always so tall? Maybe it was because she was lying down. She had the perfect angle to see all of his muscle definition. His arms were really big.

Her cheeks heated up even more when she realized she had been ogling him. Her face then burst into a cherry red color when she looked at Gajeel's questioning eyes. He had been watching her check him out! Levy felt like crawling under her comforter.

"You're not injured, are you?" Gajeel asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. The Solid Script mage felt her heart rate pick up.

"Sh-Shouldn't you have asked that before picking me up?"

He shrugged in response. The two became silent.

"Do you need anything?" Gajeel grunted suddenly, crossing his arms and staring at her. "Food? Bandages?" He suddenly ran a finger across her forehead where a small bandage resided.

"I-I-I'm okay." She stuttered. Her cheeks hadn't gone back to normal, yet. He leaned over her, stretching his arm to the other side of the bed. "Wh-What are you doing?"

"You said you were tired, didn't you?" He huffed, tugging the blankets out from under her body, and then covering her. "What? You think I'm going to eat you or something?"

"N-No!" Levy continued to stutter.

"Gi-hee, unless you wan-"

"Levy? Are you in there?" Erza's voice echoed against the front door. "Is Gajeel in there with you? Is he doing unthinkable things?"

Gajeel stilled, instantly.

"Uh, no, he's not in here." Levy yelled, saving the poor boy.

"If he did anything inappropriate, I'll be willing to cut away his manhood." The Re-quip mage said casually.

The Iron Dragon Slayer bolted off of the bed, quietly running towards the window.

"That won't be necessary." Levy laughed nervously. She would never have thought, in a million years, that Erza Scarlet would suggest such a thing. "I'm just resting here… Alone."

"If you need anything, feel free to call me." Erza offered, starting to walk away.

"Thanks!" The Solid Script mage said. Levy looked towards the window.

Gajeel ran away.

* * *

"I wonder what's taking Laxus and Lucy so long." Mira said softly, leaning against the bar.

"It was suppose to be one of the easier ones, wasn't it?" Lisanna questioned, putting her head in her hand. "Was it far?"

"Further than mine and Erza's, but not by much." Mira trailed off.

"Are you worried?"

"I'm not worried that they won't be home soon, but I'm concerned that the job wasn't what it seemed to be."

* * *

Lucy yelled as she cracked her whip against _another_ irritating monster. Sagittarius was still out, shooting down enemies a bit farther away. Virgo had retreated back to the Celestial Realm to switch spots with Capricorn, who was better skilled at close combat. Though Lucy could keep four gates open, it was better to conserve some magic, especially after using a chunk of it to heal her leg. Besides, it didn't look like these monsters were letting up any time soon.

It was going to be evening soon, and her group hadn't spotted Laxus anywhere. They had run all over the mountainside, encountering monsters and regular animals, alike. He was probably looking for her, as well, and they kept travelling to different places. At least that's what she hoped. The alternatives were scenarios she didn't want to even think of.

The Celestial mage jumped out of the way of a large fist. Just as she was about to attack, she felt a presence behind her. Without thinking about it, Lucy swung a fist behind her. It was caught.

"Laxus!" She gasped, letting her arm muscles relax. He didn't reply. The Lightning Dragon Slayer looked up and sent a roar towards their enemies.

"When someone's trying to find you, you should really stay still." He said stoically.

"Not something I can do with these things chasing me around." Lucy replied with a huff. They were tired and their magic was at a less than favorable range.

"Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!" Laxus yelled. He then grabbed Lucy's wrist, pulling her along. "We have to go back to that building. There's a portal there that is releasing all of these things."

"Why didn't you just destroy it, then?"

"Do you not see how many there are?" He asked rhetorically. "Think about how many there were at the entrance."

"And you think, with me, we can make it through?"

"They're not very strong, there are just a lot." Laxus scoffed. "You should give yourself more credit, kid." Lucy puffed up her cheeks in irritation. She was not a kid! As they ran, the Celestial mage closed the gates of her Spirits, allowing them to rest back at home. She looked down, seeing the dark stain on the bottom of her partner's pants.

"Is your leg all right? Do you need me to heal it?"

"I'll live." He replied, keeping his eyes forward. "How about you? We were hit by a bomb, you know."

"Broke my leg." Lucy said nervously. "But I healed it." Laxus nodded, not bothering to ask if she was okay. Though, she did notice that he slowed their running speed, just a little bit.

The pair ran until they were back at the peak of the small mountain. The desolate earth was now littered with the remnants of the monsters Laxus disposed of earlier. Instantly, Lucy saw the glow of the portal inside of the garage like structure.

She screamed as her body was hit into the ground. The Lightning Dragon Slayer growled as he felt her wrist get yanked out of his grip. A monster had materialized underground, pinning the Celestial mage to the earth.

"I was wondering why this portal stayed open for so long."

Laxus looked towards the building. Mayor Robert Gruffud.

"I figured you were behind this." The Lightning Dragon Slayer sneered.

"Now, now." Robert said flippantly. "Didn't I order you to get rid of the animals? You weren't supposed to mess with this place."

Laxus shifted his eyes to briefly check on his partner before answering, "You also said we could check things out up here." The monster had its grimy hands on top of Lucy's and a foot on her knees, effectively stopping her attempts to get away.

"Yes, well, this building isn't the problem. You should really do your job, Fairy Tail." Robert replied. "It seems like you've been through much, today. Why not play with your little girlfriend for a bit?"

The Lightning Dragon Slayer took his eyes off of the Mayor and watched as the monster tried to hook its claws into Lucy's clothing. Laxus saw red. No one touched his guild mate so indecently. Just as he was about to punch the monster back into the netherworld, a golden magic circle appeared next to the pair. The monster was sent flying into a pile of dead trees.

"As if I'd let you do that." Loke hissed, cracking his knuckles.

"Sick bastard." Laxus growled, changing targets. His fist became covered in lightning as he swung at the mayor. Gruffud's body was hit through a brick wall, allowing the group to look inside.

"Are you okay?" Loke asked, helping his owner to her feet.

"I'm fine." She replied, dusting off her outfit. "Thanks,"

"The hell?" Laxus asked, catching Lucy and Loke's attention.

Inside the room were a number of people. They were chained to the walls and ceiling, placed in cylinders of odd liquid, or caged behind bars. The doorway to another room glowed with different colored magical auras.

Just what was the Mayor doing to these people?

"You shouldn't have done that." Robert said in a low voice. He appeared out of the room with all of the magic emanating from it. In his hand was a lacrima sphere that glowed a mustard yellow color. The lacrima started to be absorbed into his body. The Mayor lifted up an arm; his body now glowing the same color as the lacrima had been.

The group waited with bated breath. Lucy gasped as Laxus was suddenly hit with a wave of Earth magic.

"Did you just put magic into your body?" The Celestial mage asked.

"Superb intelligence, my dear." Robert said with a chuckle. He turned towards her. "I am a Lacrima Maker wizard."

"Lacrima Maker." Loke repeated in a whisper. There was something familiar with this tale.

"I condense all kinds of magic into lacrima. Even that handy, little, summoning portal." The Mayor informed with a smug grin. "Your boyfriend, there, was equipped with one, as well. Probably when he was young, seeing as the lacrima has completely melted into his body. Lightning Dragon Slayer magic. That's a rare one. It's too bad I can't dig it out of him, now."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the man.

"So you're using your town's citizens to test out these 'lacrimas?'" Laxus asked with a raised eyebrow as he move to block the Mayor's view of Lucy.

"Oh, no, no, no." Robert said while wagging his finger. "They're not testing subjects. They're being made into wizards with incredible magic prowess. Powerful enough to counter a magic army."

The Lightning Dragon Slayer raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"You can't _make_ an army. Not this way." The Celestial mage argued.

"But I can." Robert laughed as he gestured to the colorful room. "I have all of the lacrimas I need, and the bodies will come from town. It's just a shame that some bodies can't hold up to the amount of magic that is being put in them."

"You're saying this like their lives mean nothing." Loke growled, his fists lighting up. Gruffud shrugged.

"Now that you know, I'll use your bodies, as well. I just hope the lacrimas won't react too badly with the magic you already have." The Mayor said, raising his arms. Columns of stone slabs shot out of the earth.

"Wah!" Lucy yelled as the ground beneath her lifted her high into the air. She knelt down and put a hand on the stone, attempting to balance herself.

Laxus and Loke jumped out of the way whenever the earth beneath them started to shift. Laxus turned his body into electricity as he ran towards the Mayor.

"Lucy, find a communication lacrima! Tell Gramps we need the council enforcement unit!" The Lightning Dragon Slayer ordered as he sent a swift right hook into Robert's jaw.

"From here?!" Lucy yelled back incredulously. The stone slab had taken her at least seventy feet off of the ground.

"I'll catch you, princess!" Loke declared, standing at the bottom and holding out his arms. The Spirit of the Lion was then slammed into the stone slab she was on by another one. The Celestial mage sighed.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden, Virgo!" Lucy yelled, summoning the golden key to her hand.

"Princess." Virgo greeted.

"Sorry to call you out again." The blonde apologized. "I need to get down." Virgo nodded. The Celestial Spirit picked up her owner in her arms and drilled straight through the stone slab.

"Big brother." Virgo acknowledged as she made a big enough hole at the bottom for everyone to get free. Loke sighed in relief. He was able to breath easier now. "Spica Hole." A hole appeared a few feet away from the group, taking a few monsters hostage before they got close to the group.

"That portal decided to spill more monsters, again?" Lucy groaned, unclasping her whip, once more. "Let's bust our way through and find a communication lacrima inside."

"You're starting to sound like Natsu." Loke commented, kicking away a monster.

"Great." The Celestial wizard sighed, cracking her whip. She took a brief glance at Laxus. He was still battling it out with the mayor. Lucy noticed that whereas the Lightning Dragon Slayer avoided all of the unconscious bodies of the citizens, Robert did not.

Crooked Mayor.

* * *

The rays of the setting sun filtered through the windows in Fairy Tail's guildhall. Wizards sat around, chatting with each other. It was a regular evening for the guild. Without a brawl occurring, the guild was calm.

Natsu laid the top half of his body on top of a table, his cheek pressed up against the wood. Gray, Juvia, Wendy, Charle, and Happy were playing Go Fish next to him, per Happy's suggestion. Erza, on the other hand, was happily eating another slice of cake.

"Do you have any fours, Gray-san?" Wendy asked. The Ice Make mage picked out one of his cards and handed it to the younger girl.

"Is she back, yet?" Natsu mumbled against the wood.

"Patience, Natsu." Erza said calmly.

A beeping noise started to sound from behind the bar.

"Master!" Mira yelled up to the second floor of the guild. "The communication lacrima is ringing!"

Makarov hurriedly walked down the stairs, "Get it for me will you, Mira-chan?"

The Take-Over: Satan Soul wizard put her hand on the lacrima sphere. She poured a bit of magic into it and carried the object over to the bar counter.

"You've reached Fairy Tail," Mira greeted. She was answered with static noise and a picture that flashed in and out too fast to see. "Hello?"

"That's not manly. You should answer a woman." Elfman said.

"Hello?" Mira tried once more.

"M….ra?" A voice came through the lacrima. Static continued to interfere with the connection.

"Who's speaking?" Master Makarov asked as he hopped onto the bar.

"W… Ne... Ent…" A feminine-like voice came through.

The guild quieted down, allowing the noise to be clearer. The picture on the lacrima screen continued to blink in and out.

"Lucy? Is that you?" Makarov asked, seeing long blonde hair in the brief images.

Natsu sat up straight, keeping his full attention on the communication lacrima.

"Mo…Imas…Nal…" A masculine voice came through the device, this time. Static continued to drown out the voices. Master poured more magic into the device, hoping to get it working properly.

"Lucy?" Master called out.

"Ah!" The feminine voice screamed. Static combined with solid materials crashing into the ground echoed between the guild's walls. If the communication lacrima didn't have everyone's attention before, it did now.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled, jogging over to the bar. "Are you okay?"

The sounds of people running and heavier creatures running after them resonated out of the device. The picture started to clear up and stay steady. An arm was seen on the bottom portion of the lacrima sphere. The rest of the picture showed a dead forest, littered with stone slabs and the bodies of monsters.

"Regulus Impact!"

* * *

"Whoa, look at all of these lacrimas." Lucy said in awe. They had finally infiltrated the building, getting passed all of the monsters. At the moment, Virgo was keeping the monsters busy by digging tunnels underneath them, like an underground fence. "There has to be a communication lacrima somewhere."

"This is a light lacrima." Loke observed, touching a lacrima sphere that shined brilliantly yellow.

"They all look the same." The Celestial mage groaned. She looked through the doorway to make sure Laxus was still holding his own.

"Water, fire, electricity…" He listed off. Lucy shifted her eyes to look at him. What they had thought before was now confirmed.

"Is this it?" She asked, taking a crystal ball sized sphere off the top shelf. Lucy put in some magic, though her reserve was close to its limit. A screen came to life, but blinked in and out. "Hello?" Lucy greeted uncertainly. The two of them heard a pretty, feminine voice reply, except it was hard to discern her words. "Mira?"

"Ho…Ing?" A more masculine voice asked from the communication lacrima.

"We need the Council Custody Enforcement Unit!" Lucy yelled into the device.

"Cy…Ou?" The masculine voice asked. Lucy wanted to pull her hair out in frustration.

"Let's move away from the other lacrimas. With so many of them, it must be messing with the signal." Loke suggested.

"Lu…" The communication lacrima projected.

They began to walk out of the building when a large fist came barreling at them.

"Ah!" Lucy yelled, clutching the lacrima to her stomach. She dived out of the way of the falling walls.

"L…Cy! Ou…Kay?" A different voice sounded from the device.

"Sorry, princess. I cannot keep them at bay." Virgo said, bowing slightly before retreating to the Celestial World. Lucy was worried. Virgo had gotten too many injuries for her liking.

Loke grabbed her arm and started to run from the collapsing building. They went a bit farther from Laxus, but he'd have to fend for himself for a little bit. They had to get this lacrima working.

"Regulus Impact!" Loke yelled, getting rid of the panther like monster chasing them. Lucy turned around, sending her whip at a different monster. She inadvertently showed the rest of her guild the battlefield.

The two of them screamed when an explosion was set off. A monster must've tripped one of the traps. Lucy was surprised more of them hadn't gone off already. Laxus must have gotten rid of them earlier when he was battling the monsters here.

Loke and Lucy tumbled to the ground. The communication lacrima landed hard, creating a crack in the screen and shifting the picture into multiple, distorted sections. She imagined that the image to the other side wouldn't be great, either. Blood leaked from their wounds, slowly staining the dead earth.

The Spirit of the Lion got up unsteadily. He summoned his magic.

"Make it quick, Lucy." Loke panted. "You're going to be out of magic, soon."

Lucy nodded her head against the ground. She slowly sat up and dragged the lacrima to her. She heard screams coming from the communication lacrima. She bet that the situation looked horrible to them.

"Master." The Celestial mage breathed. "We need the Council Custody Enforcement."

"What for?" Master asked. "Where's Laxus?"

"Fighting." Lucy replied, swallowing a breath. Her saliva tasted like blood. "There's some illegal human experimentation going on here."

"Mira, call the council." Master ordered.

"Do you need back up?" Erza asked, getting close to the screen.

"I don't think you'll make it in time." Lucy sighed. "We-" She was cut off when an attack shattered the lacrima in her hands.

"Sorry." Loke apologized. She saw a hole in his gut as the Celestial Spirit evaporated into a golden light.

Lucy looked further ahead. Laxus was going to be out of magic soon, too. She had just a bit of magic left. Enough for one last spell. The Celestial mage stood up. Loke had effectively gotten rid of the monsters close by. She only had until the others made it to her position. Lucy took a deep breath, gathering magic to her fingertips.

The Celestial mage drew a constellation that looked like an 'N' with a circle on the bottom. She hoped Dragon Slayers got more of a boost from Dragon magic than with regular elements.

"Draconis." Lucy whispered. Her right eye turned red. She put her arms parallel to the ground, making a triangle with her fingers. "Lightning Dragon's Roar!" She screamed, sending the attack straight at her partner.

Nine percent. Six. Three. Two. One percent. The roar trickled out. Her magic was depleted. She fell to her knees. The monsters were close, now. Her world started to dim. Before she let the darkness take her, Lucy saw a field of fire.


	33. Recovery Period

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Three: Recovery Period

* * *

Lucy whimpered slightly as she awoke from unconsciousness. She was lying on her side, her head propped up on… skin? The Celestial mage felt a gentle hand rub her shoulder in a soothing matter.

"Awake?"

The blonde woman rolled to her back and stared up at the person. Vibrant red hair that gleamed in the sunlight was the first thing that registered in her mind. She then realized she was lying on this woman's lap.

"Hi, Phoenix." Lucy greeted with a small smile.

"You had to go and be this careless when it was my turn to guard you." The red haired woman sighed. The blonde slowly sat up on the bench they were on. "Careful."

"I'm all right." Lucy responded, though she clutched her head when her vision started to spin. "Sorry for making your job difficult."

"Yeah, well…" Phoenix trailed off, crossing her arms under her bust. She then crossed her legs, hiking the black mini skirt up higher. The little white bow attached at the top of a slit did not make the outfit seem any more innocent. The Celestial mage giggled at her Spirit. "Since I got to observe that hunk you got as a partner, I guess it wasn't so bad." Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Where is Laxus, anyways?"

Just as Lucy questioned it, the Lightning Dragon Slayer walked out of the building directly beside them. Behind him, a large group of the Council's Custody Enforcement Unit members came out, bringing a cuffed Mayor Robert Gruffud along with them.

The Mayor's clothing was in tatters. Lucy could only imagine what kind of violent things Laxus did to him. Looking Gruffud over, Lucy noticed that his pants were torn at the bottom, revealing his ankle and calf. A small black mark was on the back of his ankle, so small that Laxus probably hadn't caught it during the skirmish.

It was a guild insignia – one that had been drilled into her memory by the Spirit King and Loke. Lucy turned to look at Phoenix. The Celestial Spirit nodded. When the ruby-haired woman returned home, she would relay the news.

"You're awake." Laxus noticed, walking over to the pair. "Feeling all right?"

"More or less." The Celestial wizard replied. "Are you okay?"

"I'll live." He replied gruffly. "We're about done here. You sit right there, I'll go get our bags."

"Are you sure? I-" Lucy began saying.

"You need all the rest you can get." The Lightning Dragon Slayer cut in, walking to the inn without another word.

Though a bit peeved that he interrupted her, Lucy listened to his command. Phoenix, after deeming the area safe, returned to the Celestial World. Lucy had to earn the trust of the other Beast Spirits as fast as possible. Things were progressing quickly in Earth Land.

Now, the blonde sat alone on the bench, trying hard not to move too quickly. Lucy looked towards the sky. Her head was still spinning. She hoped it would go away soon.

"Excuse me."

The Celestial mage tilted her head back to eye-level, biting her cheek to hold in a pained whine.

"Hello." Lucy replied uncertainly. There was a middle-aged woman standing in front of her.

"I… Would like to thank you." The woman said sincerely. Lucy blinked in confusion. "My children… I thought they had been attacked by the animals, but it turns out they were being held prisoner by that disgusting man."

"Oh," The Celestial wizard said in shock. She composed herself. "You don't need to thank us, it's our job to help. It makes us happy knowing that our work has done some good."

"It is fortunate that we have such talented wizards helping us."

Lucy didn't want to mention that them finding the lab was an accident. Nor did she want to say that destroying said lab was not their original job assignment.

"My team mate did most of the heavy fighting." Lucy laughed nervously.

"If you don't mind, can you follow me? It will be for just a few minutes." The woman asked hopefully.

The blonde briefly looked in the direction Laxus had gone. She hoped he didn't get angry with her. Lucy stood up and trailed after the middle-aged woman.

"Where are we going?"

"I would just like you to bless my husband."

Lucy blinked, wanting to stop walking and run back. "Bless your husband?"

"He was killed by a mountain lion during this whole ordeal. I want him to meet the person who saved our children." The woman said with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Lucy replied respectfully. The woman didn't respond with words and just nodded her head.

The pair made it to a newly constructed portion of a cemetery. The Celestial mage looked around. Too many people lost their lives for her liking. Lucy looked down in shame.

"Here," The woman said, stopping suddenly. They were in front of a gravestone.

Lucy knelt down, tears gathering in her eyes.

The pair stood in silence.

"I'm sorry all of you were caught in our war." The Celestial mage whispered. A slight gust whipped up, making a tear drip onto the soil.

It was silent once more. Somehow, this silence was comforting. It wasn't deafening nor stifling. It was a silence that said more than any words could ever express. It forgave.

"I thought I told you to sit on that bench."

Lucy jolted out of her thoughts, turning back to see Laxus with their luggage slung over his shoulder.

"S-Sorry, this woman asked me to come bless her husband's grave." She replied.

"What woman?" Laxus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Right he-" The Celestial mage began to say, turning to where the middle-aged woman once stood. There was no one there. "I… I swear she was..."

The Lightning Dragon Slayer walked closer to her, inspecting the graves.

"Ruben Winthrop." He read the gravestone.

"Yeah, his wife was the one to bring me here." Lucy informed. Laxus shifted his eyes to the gravestone to the left.

"You mean her? Livie Winthrop, loving wife and mother." He read again. The Celestial mage stood up quickly, ignoring the vertigo. She looked at the gravestone and felt a shiver run down her spine.

"I-I guess…" Lucy whispered.

"Winthrop," Laxus thought out loud. "I think there are two of them getting medical treatment."

"Medical treatment?"

"Took them out of that building." The Lightning Dragon Slayer replied. "The Council sent in some wizard doctors to get the lacrimas out and treat any side effects."

"I see." Lucy trailed off. "A lot happened while I was out."

"We're going to talk about your actions at the guild." Laxus said seriously, getting closer to the girl. She looked at him questioningly. "Come on, kid. Let's go before you bleed all over the graves." He lifted her into his arms. She squeaked, still feeling dizzy.

Lucy looked down to the ground. She hadn't even realized she was bleeding out. Now that she has seen it, Lucy felt even weaker.

* * *

"Would you calm down?" Charle complained, putting her paws on her hips. She, and most of the other guild members, watched as Natsu sat directly in front of the guild's doors, occasionally lighting his body on fire out of anxiety.

"Don't light the guild on fire, Natsu." Mirajane warned lightly, flitting about with a tray full of food and drinks.

"Charle, he's just worried." Wendy scolded.

"He's been a bit anxious after yesterday's call." Gray commented, leaning his head in his hand. Juvia sat close to his side, nodding in agreement.

"You're not?" Happy asked innocently, gnawing on a fish.

"Gramps said it a million times: she's with Laxus – a capable S-Class wizard." The Ice Make mage sighed. "It's not as though I'm not worried, but we just have to put our faith in them."

"It's an S-Class mission." Erza stated, sitting down at the table with a slice of cake. "Nothing unusual happened."

"I suppose." Gray said with a shrug, leaning back on the bench.

"I feel bad for Natsu-san." Wendy commented softly.

"He does hate to be left behind." Juvia sighed. "My love for Gray-sama is the same."

"Hey." Gray complained nervously, inching away from the love-struck girl.

It was becoming late afternoon and Natsu had yet to leave his spot by the front door since morning. He was in a slouched position against the banister. The Fire Dragon Slayer twitched slightly when he heard footsteps from outside.

The door was opened softly, revealing Laxus carrying Lucy in his arms. She had her head against his shoulder, unconscious.

"Lucy!" Natsu gasped, bolting into a standing position. "What did you do to her?!"

"What do you mean: 'what did I do to her?'" Laxus scoffed, stepping further into the guild. Gray and Erza rushed over. Wendy shortly followed them. "She fell asleep on the train. Here, take her to the infirmary and call Porlyusica." The Lightning Dragon Slayer lightly tossed the sleeping Celestial mage into Gray's arms. He would've given the girl to Natsu, but the pink haired idiot had lit himself on fire.

A sudden fire engulfed the front door, submerging Laxus and a part of the guild in its flames. Natsu looked around in confusion. He didn't set that fire, but a free meal was a free meal. The Fire Dragon Slayer started to suck in the flames.

Before Natsu could get even a quarter of the fire into his belly, he felt his insides start to burn, like acid had been poured down his throat. The Fire Dragon Slayer coughed loudly, falling to his knees and clutching his neck.

"Natsu!" Happy yelled in alarm, flying towards his partner.

"Can't you handle her like a lady?" A feminine voice from outside criticized. The guild members inside stopped what they were doing and stood alert. A woman in a revealing black blazer and short black mini skirt came through the flaming doors.

"You again." Laxus grumbled. "Don't you ever quit complaining?"

"I wouldn't have to complain if you treated my Master nicely." Phoenix huffed, crossing her arms. She then looked over as a dry heave caught her attention. The Celestial Spirit walked lightly in her heels towards the boy rolling around on the ground. "Oh, you poor thing, you tried to eat my fire." She babied.

"Who is she?" Erza asked the Lightning Dragon Slayer.

"One of Lucy's keys." Laxus replied. The Re-quip mage nodded, leaving to prepare the infirmary for her team member. If the woman was one of Lucy's Spirits, there was nothing to worry about.

"You should go to the infirmary and get looked at, too." Master Makarov said, walking up to the commotion. "You look awful."

"Thanks, Gramps." Laxus scoffed.

"And someone do something about the fire!" Makarov huffed. Juvia started to prepare a large water sphere.

"Phoenix." Lucy warned softly, having woken up from all the noise. The Celestial Spirit stopped rubbing Natsu's head and snapped her fingers. The fire disappeared.

"Whoa, careful." Gray said worriedly as he put the Celestial mage down and she wobbled off balance.

"It's all right." Lucy reassured. "It's just another dizzy spell."

"Another?" Wendy asked, coming over and checking the Celestial wizard over. "Lucy-san! You've used all of your magic! This could become serious."

"Didn't I say to get Porlyusica?" Laxus asked to no one in particular. "Lucy ran a fever on our way back."

"Jet, do you mind?" Makarov asked, turning to the rest of the guild.

"Sure." The Speed mage agreed, though a bit reluctantly. Why did he have to be the one to go get that grumpy woman?

"There, there." Phoenix soothed, rubbing Natsu's back as he continued to cough. "Phoenix is here for you."

"What the hell?" The Fire Dragon Slayer coughed, his voice a bit husky.

"You shouldn't eat Celestial Fire." Phoenix cooed. "Hottest fire around, next to Hell's fire."

"I can't believe something actually burned _Natsu._ " Wakaba said in alarm.

"And from the inside, too." Macao agreed with a shiver. "Just how strong is Lucy?"

"Let me see." Wendy said, now kneeling down next to the suffering Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Phoenix." Lucy warned again, using Gray's offered arm to steady herself.

"Fine, fine." Phoenix said with a wave of her hand. Natsu felt the fire in his stomach disappear, relieving him of the sensation. "You never let me play nurse."

"Not with my friends." The Celestial mage hissed lightly.

"Hey, careful!" Gray warned when the blonde tried to walk and tripped over herself. "Let's just get you to the infirmary." He lifted her back into his arms. "You're hot. You must still be running that fever."

Juvia's eyes widened. Gray-sama thought Lucy-san was hot!

"Sorry, I must be heavy." The Celestial mage said softly, finding her voice weak.

"You shouldn't take Happy so seriously." Gray chastised, easily adjusting her in his arms as he climbed the stairs.

The moment Natsu felt his insides settle back to normal, he stood up and ran to the infirmary room, ignoring the Celestial Spirit babying him.

"Let me take those." Mirajane said, walking up to Laxus and pausing his conversation with the Master. The Take-Over: Satan Soul wizard tugged the bags off of the Lightning Dragon Slayer's shoulders. "You should go rest in the infirmary with Lucy and get looked over."

Laxus shrugged, following Gray up the stairs without further complaint. No one had noticed at first, but the ever-proud Lightning Dragon Slayer was slightly limping.

"Why don't you go help them out, Wendy?" Makarov suggested. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay." The Sky Dragon Slayer accepted, running up the stairs with Charle.

"Put me down, human!" A cry resounded from outside.

"Porlyusica's here." Levy sighed, though out of relief or fear, she didn't know.

"Ouch!" Jet yelled, abruptly putting the woman down inside the guild. The Speed mage held his head in pain. Why did she have to hit him with a broom? Why'd she even take the broom with her?! "Master." Jet whimpered.

"Sorry for the sudden call." Makarov coughed into his hand. "It's Laxus and Lucy."

"What did that boy do now?" Porlyusica complained, automatically going up the stairs. "Humans, I hate them."

"Now, now," Makarov said lightly, following the woman to the infirmary.

No one cared to notice the Celestial Spirit standing in the middle of the guild. Phoenix took note of all of Fairy Tail's members, assessing their physique and magic level in a single glance. She looked down, feeling eyes on her.

"What can I do for you, kitty-cat?" Phoenix asked, kneeling down to the blue Exceed's level.

"You can't have him." Happy said seriously. The Celestial Spirit lifted a perfectly trimmed eyebrow in confusion. "Natsu. You can't have him. He's Lucy's."

"Oh-ho," Phoenix laughed behind her hand, understanding the situation. "If there's any man off limits, it would be my Master's man. I wasn't trying to take him, anyways." The ruby-haired Spirit stood up and started walking away, waving a hand to brush off any of the cat's concerns.

Happy stood still, keeping an eye on the woman. He would protect Natsu, even from Lucy's new friend.

* * *

"What did you do? Get caught in a bear trap?" Porlyusica nitpicked, inspecting the wound on Laxus' leg. " _And_ it's infected."

"It was a bear trap." The Lightning Dragon Slayer said with a shrug. "It's not as though people think to disinfect things like that." Fairy Tail's medical advisor sent him a chilly glare.

"Any better, Lucy-san?" Wendy asked, pouring more magic into the Celestial mage's body.

"Mm-hm, thanks." Lucy said softly, nodding her head against the pillow.

"And you sprained your ankle." Porlyusica sighed, coming over to inspect the swollen ankle on the Celestial mage.

Erza, Natsu, and Gray stood anxiously by the far wall, waiting on the diagnosis.

"It was worse before." Lucy joked, her voice still quiet.

"Check her leg," Laxus informed, putting his shirt back on after his 'examination.' "She broke it."

"What?!" Natsu gasped, about to run to the bed. Erza held him back by the collar of his shirt.

"How did you do that, Lucy?" Makarov asked, taking notes in the Missions' Log. He had gotten most of the gritty details from Laxus when everyone else was in frenzy.

"Landmine." Laxus and Lucy replied together. Master nodded calmly. Natsu, on the other hand, had to be held back by both Erza _and_ Gray.

"I healed the worse of it." The Celestial mage informed, allowing Porlyusica to poke and prod at her injuries.

"Wendy, go get some water." The medical advisor said, kinder than usual. The Sky Dragon Slayer nodded, leaving the room with Charle still following her every step. "Gray, come here."

The Ice Make mage, though startled by the sudden call, went over to Lucy's bedside.

"Is anything serious?" Makarov asked earnestly.

"Mild symptoms of Magic Power Deficiency. Since her magic wasn't all lost at once, it shouldn't get any worse." Porlyusica sighed, signally to Gray to put his hand on Lucy's forehead. "Ice her forehead down." The Ice Make mage nodded, calling out his magic and cooling down the heated skin. "And dehydration."

"Sorry for the trouble." Lucy whispered, closing her eyes.

"They'll both be fine after some rest." Porlyusica continued.

"Here's the water." Wendy informed, coming into the infirmary with a glass of water and Mirajane behind her with a pitcher.

"Call me if anything changes." Porlyusica said, cleaning up the mess of gauze and bandages before leaving.

"Thanks, again." Makarov said gratefully, allowing the pink haired woman to exit.

"How is everyone?" Mira asked, setting the water down. "Can I get anyone anything?"

Before anybody could answer, a loud cry of Laxus' name came from the first floor, accompanied by the slamming of the guild's doors. Everyone turned to see Freed running into the room, crying happy tears.

"You're back home, safe and sound." The Runes mage cheered tearfully.

"You look like you got roughed up a bit." Bickslow added from the hallway with a chuckle.

"A bit." The Human Possession mage's dolls repeated. "A bit."

"More of an annoyance than anything." Laxus scoffed.

"I'm sure it was." Evergreen said knowingly.

"Laxus, before you leave," Makarov called back. Everyone in the room looked over. "Tell us why Lucy has significantly less magic than you do."

"I told you to protect her." Erza rebuked. She was finally able to cut into the conversation without interrupting rudely.

"Sorry, it was my fault." Lucy said, turning her head to look at her red haired teammate. "You don't need to blame Laxus, Erza."

"How was it your fault?" Master asked.

Without anyone holding onto him, Natsu went to Lucy's side eagerly. Gray pushed the overeager Fire Dragon Slayer away. The Ice Make mage was still doing fever treatment and needed the space near the Celestial wizard's head.

"We were both running low on magic after battling all day and getting injured." The Celestial mage began to explain. "I figured it would be better for one of us to be at good strength than for both of us to be weak. Obviously, Laxus has more experience and can handle things much better than I can alone. I used the last of my magic to activate Draco's spell and give Laxus the electricity."

There was a brief pause of silence.

"I'm proud of you." Erza said, patting Lucy's leg. The Celestial mage squeaked in pain as Titania pinched her shin. "For being hasty and making us worry."

"Sorry." Lucy apologized again.

"Don't hurt her!" Natsu growled, slapping Erza's hand away. The Re-quip mage didn't react the way she usual would have.

"You're a bright girl, Lucy." Master said. "Learning to make such decisions is something all S-Class wizards have to achieve." He gave everyone a smile before heading out the door. "But perhaps you sacrifice yourself too easily?"

"Master?" The Celestial mage asked in confusion.

"It's nothing, my dear." Makarov grinned. "One more thing, was Robert Gruffud doing this for any particular reason?"

Lucy looked over to the Lightning Dragon Slayer.

"He said something about making super wizards into an army." Laxus said with a shrug.

The Celestial mage nodded in agreement. He hadn't seen the guild insignia, after all.

"Very well, then." Makarov said, nodding. He began walking towards his office. "Rest easy, children. Your teams will take good care of you."

"I'm sure you'll be all right here." Laxus said, getting off his infirmary bed. He briefly stopped at Lucy's bed. "Recover soon."

"Thanks." The Celestial mage replied. "You too."

"Let's leave them." Laxus commanded his posse. The other three Lightning God Tribe members wished Lucy a quick recovery before leaving, as well.

"I'll bring you some food, Lucy." Mira said happily. "You must be starved."

"Don't forget to drink lots of water." Wendy said, pointing to a cup with a straw in it.

"I'll get to it." Lucy replied gratefully.

"I think that's enough." Gray said suddenly, taking his hand off of the blonde's forehead. "Any better?"

"Tons." The Celestial mage answered. There were so many people talking to her, and all she wanted to do was sleep. Though, she didn't want to be rude. They were doing their best for her.

"I've healed your ankle." Wendy informed.

When did she start healing it? So many things were going on at once. Lucy felt lethargic.

"Here," Natsu said, holding the straw to her lips. He stood at the spot Porlyusica vacated. The blonde blinked in confusion. "You'll get better the more you drink it, so drink."

"Demanding." Lucy grumbled, sitting up on her elbows and sipping the offered straw. Natsu didn't put the glass down until she had downed half of its contents. The Fire Dragon Slayer pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down.

"There's not much else you can do, Wendy." Charle sighed, seeing the Sky Dragon Slayer look for anything more that could be healed. "Her condition has to get better on its own."

"You're right." Wendy relented, sighing in disappointment that she couldn't be of any more help.

"Thank you, Wendy. Why don't you go back downstairs and relax?" Lucy suggested. The young girl nodded, taking the white Exceed with her as they left. Okay, three more people to go.

"You've gained a lot of experience through this mission." Erza commented absently as she sat on the edge of Lucy's infirmary bed. "In the long run, this'll be good for you."

"Isn't that why Master came up with the idea in the first place?" The blonde asked. Natsu urged her to drink more water.

"Glad you remembered." Erza laughed lightly.

"After all of that, I'm surprised you remembered." Gray commented, getting a chair and sitting on it backwards.

They weren't leaving any time soon, were they? Lucy pushed herself into a seated position, leaning her back on the wall that the head of the bed was pressed against.

"When I'm done recovering my magic, let's go on a mission together." The Celestial mage said with a bright smile, easing the worry her teammates held. "But lets pass on S-Class for a while."

"Deal." Erza said in amusement, seeing as she would have to be the one to take the S-Class mission.

"Lucy, drink." Natsu complained, holding the newly refilled glass to her lips, again.

"You're trying to make me pee." Lucy grumbled, though she took the straw and began to drink more water.

"Someone has to take care of you." The Fire Dragon Slayer huffed. The blonde sighed, but reluctantly obliged.

Lucy looked towards the open doorway and shivered. Eyes were boring into her.

"J-Juvia, what can I do for you?" The Celestial mage asked, watching the blue haired woman glance into the room discretely.

"I got it." Gray exhaled, getting up from his seat. Juvia blushed as the Ice Make mage put his hand on her shoulder and led her down the hallway. "What do you think you're doing?" His voice faded as the distance became greater.

"N-Nothing, Gray-sama!" Juvia stuttered.

Erza coughed lightly into her hand, also standing up. She had a blush staining her cheeks.

"I'll leave you guys alone." The Re-quip mage said timidly before hastily walking out the door. Lucy blinked in confusion.

"Here," Natsu said, shoving the glass of water in her face, again.

"You're going to drown me." She sighed.

"Am not." He retorted, scooting closer to her bedside. Lucy noticed Natsu's other hand pressing into the bed, his fingers brushing against her thigh.

"Hey," Phoenix said as she entered the doorway with a bowl of steaming soup. "That white haired one told me to bring this up for you."

"Thanks." The Celestial mage replied. The Spirit of the Phoenix set the food down by the water, leaning dangerously close to the Fire Dragon Slayer. She then stood up straight and placed her hands against his shoulders, leaning her body on him.

"You have some pretty cute guys in this guild." Phoenix said with a smirk. "I might just take one of them with me." Lucy saw the Celestial Spirit squeeze Natsu's shoulder.

"I told you, not my friends." The Celestial mage reprimanded with a slight glare.

"Oh?" Phoenix laughed, pressing a bit more of her body into Natsu's back. "Green doesn't look good on you, owner."

"I'm not green." Lucy huffed. The Fire Dragon Slayer raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"She's not wearing green." Natsu mumbled. The ruby-haired woman laughed joyfully.

"Hey!" Happy cried from the doorway, flying quickly inside. "I told you, hands off, lady!"

"Kitty-cat is back." Phoenix sighed, standing on her own and crossing her arms. "Why do you keep following me?"

"What has you so angry, Happy?" Natsu asked.

"She…!" Happy began to say, but seeing as Natsu was oblivious, he stopped. "Never mind."

"Anyways," Phoenix said, walking around Natsu's chair and put a hand on Lucy's forehead. "Besides the food, I came to check on you. Feeling any better?"

"Yeah, thanks for everything, Phoenix." Lucy said gratefully, their small skirmish forgotten.

"Next time you get in trouble, try to do it on someone else's watch." Phoenix jested. "Unless I get to play with your men again."

"Go home." Lucy sighed. Phoenix's laughter faded as she closed her own gate.

"I don't like her." Happy huffed, sitting down on Lucy's lap.

"Why not?" The blonde asked, scratching the Exceed behind his ears. "She's nice, but a bit of a flirt."

Happy continued pouting, "Natsu couldn't eat her fire."

"It's Celestial Fire. I'd be surprised if he could." Lucy giggled, looking up at the, now moping, Fire Dragon Slayer. "Maybe you can learn to eat it."

"Call her out, again!" Natsu demanded, standing up. "I'll beat her fire!"

"Maybe next time." Lucy said dryly. She was in the infirmary for Magic Power Deficiency, after all.

"Oh, right." The pink haired man said nervously, plopping back down in his chair. He grabbed the glass of water and made her drink.

"Why don't you ask for a fish from Mira? Maybe that'll cheer you up." She suggested, lifting Happy to stand on his hind paws.

"Aye!" The Exceed said excitedly, forgetting about all of his problems as he flew down to the first floor.

"You should eat, too, you know." Natsu said, motioning towards the bowl.

"You don't have to baby me."

"Just let me take care of you." He responded. The blonde blushed slightly. The Fire Dragon Slayer scooped up a bit of broth and put the spoon by her lips. "Ah,"

"Really, you don't hav-" Lucy was cut off as Natsu shoved the spoon into her mouth, spilling the broth down her throat. The Celestial mage tried not to cough it back up.

"If you eat this entire bowl, I'll take you home." He said seriously. "I know how much you like your nightly baths."

"Deal." Lucy said immediately, happily eating the next spoonful. Natsu rolled his eyes playfully. He picked up a piece of chicken from the soup, placing it near her lips once more. As she chewed the food, the Fire Dragon Slayer lightly combed his fingers through her bangs. "N-Natsu?"

"Hm?"

"Wh-what a-are you doing?" The blonde stuttered, blushing heavily. "I guess I must look awful after that fight."

"You look fine to me." Natsu said nonchalantly, as though she should've already known that. "You're forehead is getting hotter, again."

"I-Is it?"

"Should I go get Gray?"

"No!" Lucy yelled a bit too quickly. "I-I mean, it's fine. I'm fine. It'll go away on its own." She laughed nervously. She didn't need Gray to see her blushing this badly while Natsu acted as though everything was perfectly fine.

"If you say so." The Fire Dragon Slayer said uncertainly. He scooped up a few noodles into the spoon, next. Natsu continued to feed Lucy while his other hand rubbed the Celestial mage's knee soothingly.


	34. Proposition

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Four: Proposition

* * *

"Good morning, Lucy." Mirajane greeted. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Good morning." The Celestial mage replied. "Yeah, tons. Natsu has been really diligent about getting me back to good health the past three days."

"I'm sure he has." The Take-Over mage giggled. Lucy cocked her head to the side, but didn't comment as she sat on a barstool. "Want something to eat or drink?"

"Actually, have you seen your sister?" The blonde asked, looking around. "I never got a chance to thank her."

"Thank her?" Mira asked curiously, looking up to the second floor.

"She got me a book and chipped in to pay some of my rent while I was away."

"I think she's upstairs with the Thunder God Tribe and Elfman."

"Thanks, Mira." Lucy said gratefully, hopping off of her seat and walking upstairs. "Lisanna?" She called as she made it up the last step.

"Lucy!" Lisanna answered, waving her hand in the air. "You look a lot better."

"I hope so." The blonde woman replied before greeting everyone else at the table they sat around.

"All your injuries heal yet?" Laxus asked, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"Yeah. How about yours?" Lucy questioned, walking to stand behind Lisanna's chair.

"Wendy got it cleared up pretty fast." The Lightning Dragon Slayer informed. Lucy smiled at him, glad that he was all right after the small ordeal.

Freed got up, gesturing to his free seat.

"Oh, no thank you, Freed. I just need to talk to Lisanna real quick." Lucy said, blushing slightly. The Celestial mage slightly tilted her head in gratitude. She didn't realize chivalry still existed in this guild.

"If you insist." Freed replied, sitting back down.

"Manly!" Elfman exclaimed. "That is how you should treat manly women!"

"Manly women? Not everyone looks like a 'manly woman!'" Evergreen complained.

Bickslow leaned down to Evergreen's level to whisper in her ear, "You sure he's the one?"

"Hey!" The Stone Eyes mage yelled, slapping the Human Possession wizard lightly on the shoulder.

"What's up?" Lisanna asked, turning in her chair to give Lucy her undivided attention.

"I just wanted to thank you properly." Lucy explained. "For gifting me that book and chipping in for my rent."

"Book?" The Take-Over: Animal Soul mage questioned.

"The one you got when you went with Natsu and the team." The Celestial mage elaborated.

"Oh! That seems like so long ago." Lisanna said in realization, laughing lightly. "But don't mention it! It was my pleasure! Want to come sit with us?"

"I should find Natsu before he starts rampaging." Lucy sighed. "He doesn't know I left the apartment."

"I thought you recovered?" Elfman inquired.

"I did." The Celestial mage exhaled in exasperation.

"Natsu's just over protective." Lisanna said, laughing behind her hand.

"I think you're too late." Laxus commented, looking over the banister.

The guild doors were thrown open, revealing Natsu with his leg in the air in a kicking motion and Happy flying around frantically in the background.

"Mira! Have you seen Lucy?!" The Fire Dragon Slayer yelled, running inside.

"She's upstairs." The Take-Over: Satan Soul wizard replied pleasantly with a knowing grin.

"Lucy!" Happy cried, flying in circles.

"Would you two quiet down?" Lucy blustered, walking down the stairs. "I'm not going to die the second you take your eyes off of me."

"But you're sick." Happy whimpered, floating in front of the Celestial mage's face.

"No I'm not." Lucy sighed.

"You're not?" Natsu asked innocently. He then sighed in relief, plopping himself onto a seat. The blonde woman playfully rolled her eyes, patting the Fire Dragon Slayer's head as she sat beside him.

"Natsu," Mira called softly. The mentioned boy looked over. "Why don't you take Lucy out around town? Show her all the new stores that opened up while she was away."

"Okay." The Fire Dragon Slayer said with a shrug, getting up and giving the blonde woman a hand up.

"I don't get to agree or disagree?" Lucy mumbled.

"Where should we go first?" The blue Exceed asked excitedly.

"Happy," The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage interrupted. "I'll give you fish."

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed, forgetting about his teammates and rushing towards the bar.

Natsu shrugged again, walking towards the front door with his hand tugging at Lucy's wrist.

"You think they're together yet?" Cana asked, chugging a barrel of Fairy Tail's specialty wine.

"Knowing Natsu, I'd say no." Max chuckled.

"It's weird enough that _our_ Natsu has a crush on someone." Nab said in amusement.

"Think he'll ever get laid?" Wakaba asked, plopping down at Cana's table with a pipe in his mouth.

The group shrugged.

* * *

"Didn't I tell you that I'd check on you in the morning?" Natsu huffed, crossing his arms.

"And didn't _I_ tell you that I felt fine yesterday?" Lucy retorted. "It's not as though I went far."

"Fine." He sighed, looking straight ahead.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, the morning ruckus forgotten.

"Where are we going?"

"Where do you want to go?" Natsu asked in return, looking down at her shorter stature.

"I'm kind of hungry." Lucy said sheepishly. He grinned.

"There's this new brunch place that opened up a few months ago."

"Their specialty is brunch?" The Celestial mage asked skeptically. Natsu shrugged. He didn't read the sign too carefully when he first saw it.

"Lisanna and Mira said it was good. Elfman said it was manly, though." He said, thinking back to when the Strauss siblings were raving about it to the other members. "They have warm sandwiches, which I know you like."

"All right, you got me hook, line, and sinker." Lucy giggled slightly. "Let's go there."

Natsu grinned, taking her hand to weave through the morning crowd.

* * *

"Good morning, Erza." Kinana greeted as the Re-quip wizard walked in through the door.

"Morning." Erza replied. "Has Lucy been here, yet? I was going to check on her if she hasn't."

"You should check with Mirajane. I just got here, myself." Kinana said. Erza nodded in thanks, letting the purple haired girl go back to serving drinks.

"Happy." The Re-quip mage called as she saw the blue Exceed sitting on the bar counter. "Is Mira here?"

"Aye! She's getting me more fish so I stay around here." Happy said excitedly.

"Stay around here?" Erza questioned softly.

"So he doesn't run after Natsu and Lucy." Mira answered, coming out of the kitchen with a plate piled with fish.

"Lucy came to the guild? She must feel better, then." The red head asked, sitting down on a stool. "Where did they go?"

"On a date." Mira sang happily.

"D-D-Date?" Erza stuttered, blushing madly.

"Date!" Juvia gasped, turning towards Gray and grabbing his arm.

"Hey!" The Ice Make wizard complained as he was dragged off of his seat.

"Let's go on a date, Gray-sama!" Juvia exclaimed, pulling the boy out of the guild.

"Everyone is so cute today." Mira sighed, leaning her head in her hand.

"Date." Erza continued to mumble, looking down at the ground. Various scenarios ran through her mind, making the red haired woman blush hotter.

"Charle!" Happy called, flying at top speed with his plate of fish. "Do you want to share with me?"

"No." The white Exceed retorted.

"Tch, what is with everyone today?" Gajeel scoffed, sitting away from the commotion.

"You can ask Levy." Pantherlily suggested, looking at the sighing Solid Script mage in between her two arguing teammates.

"I don't do _dates._ " The Iron Dragon Slayer said with a shiver.

"Manly!" Elfman yelled from the second floor.

"I never said I wanted to go on a date!" Evergreen denied.

"You should totally go on a date." Lisanna insisted.

Mirajane sighed happily, watching over her guild mates. Today sure was lively.

"W-What do you do on these _dates_?" Erza asked cautiously, still blushing.

"Anything you want, I suppose. As long as you and your date are having a good time." The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage said absently.

The Re-quip wizard blushed even more. Having a good time?! Natsu must be violating Lucy at his house! Especially since Happy was at the guild! She should stop them! Just as she was about to rush out the door, Mira grabbed the collar of her armor.

"I demand you let me go, this instance. I have to stop them!" Erza insisted.

"Now, now, Erza, no need to be rash." Mira said soothingly. "I'm sure they're innocent. Here, have some cake." The white haired woman placed a tantalizing slice of strawberry cake on the counter. A drop of strawberry sauce dripped from the top, slowly slipping down until it pooled onto the pristine white plate. The cake soaked up some of the sauce, spreading the red coloring. The fluffy, white frosting cushioned a decadent strawberry slice on top.

The Re-quip wizard sat back down. Maybe she should stay.

* * *

"I'll pay." Lucy said, grabbing the check before Natsu could get his hands on it.

"Hey, give that to me." The Fire Dragon Slayer argued, reaching for the piece of paper. She scooted her chair back, holding the check away from his hands.

"Since when do you pass up free food?" The blonde asked.

"Since…" He began. Natsu's cheeks began to become pink. "Just give me the check!"

"No." Lucy said with a grin, placing the correct amount of jewels on the table. "It's my thanks."

"Thanks?"

"For taking care of me the past few days."

"You don't need to th-"

"Even if you did almost burn my kitchen down." The Celestial mage interrupted, her smile becoming a bit strained. Natsu laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

Once the bill was settled, the two of them left the restaurant. Lucy wandered around aimlessly in the streets, Natsu following close behind her. The blonde stopped occasionally to look at all the new things through various store windows.

The Fire Dragon Slayer watched her in amusement as she admired some clothing. The men at the guild always said that shopping with a woman was torturous. Natsu didn't find anything wrong with it. Especially since he was getting to spend some time with Lucy.

"Here's Erza's favorite shop." Natsu commented as they walked closer to a store.

"Another bakery opened up?" Lucy asked in surprise.

"I wouldn't say _'another.'_ " He chuckled nervously. "It's the same one, but it got remodeled… A bit."

"A bit? It looks completely different!"

"Okay, so we destroyed part of it."

"Part?" She asked skeptically, turning to him.

"The only thing that was left standing was the front door." Natsu relented with a sigh.

"Sounds like you guys." Lucy said with a nod. The blonde waited until the pink haired man walked up beside her before moving once more. She gently curved her hand around the crook of his elbow, putting her other hand over the other side in a tender hold.

Natsu looked down at his arm, but wasn't going to question the contact.

"Where do you want to go now?" He asked, turning his face slightly away to hide his reddening cheeks.

"Hm," The blonde hummed in thought. She also turned her head away to hide the blush that tinted her cheeks. It, kind of, felt like a date, now. She blushed harder. "Is the Rainbow Cherry Blossom tree still in bloom?"

"Sorry, you're a couple months too late." The Fire Dragon Slayer said sadly, feeling her disappointment. Lucy pouted slightly, trying to think of a new place to go. "There's a new mini-dessert shop. Everything they sell is _tiny_ and _adorable_ looking. You like cute shit like that, don't you?" He suggested quickly.

The Celestial mage laughed, nodding her head in agreement to go check out the new store. The two of them walked in comfortable silence.

Lucy took a peak down at her hands. He didn't seem to mind the contact all too much. She wondered… What was going on with him lately? She wound her hands around his arm to see how he would react. He always seemed to grab her hand or wrist, even before she left to train with Loke – usually to drag her off on another mission or out of danger. Natsu wasn't usually one to care about physical contact – at least, not in the romantic sense.

There were also all of those embarrassing encounters when she was only garbed in a towel… or less. Natsu never batted an eye, back then.

Now, though, he constantly made sure to stay close to her. He fretted about her more, and made sure to see her at least once a day. The Fire Dragon Slayer even took her out around town at Mirajane's request without complaint. In the past, they have done the similar things before, but Happy was frequently with them. And things didn't seem quite so… Amorous.

Lucy looked at his face. He looked the same. There were no new scars or marks. His usual, childish grin was still present on his lips. Heck, his customary childish personality remained the same, as well. She stared up at him.

Maybe she was just imagining things. Lucy let it go.

"Is that it?" The Celestial mage asked, pointing towards a bakery window with a tall display stand full of shot glasses filled with various cakes and crèmes. "That looks delicious!"

"Let's go buy some then." Natsu chuckled, pulling the blonde along as he entered the store. The colorful cakes in small shot glasses kept her attention. He smiled as Lucy quickly went over to the display, acting like a kid in a candy store. Maybe that's what she was, at the moment.

"Welcome to Tiny Chews!" A sales associate greeted cheerfully, walking over to the Fire Dragon Slayer. The woman had brown hair tied in a high ponytail, and a light green apron on over her clothes. "Is there anything in particular you're looking for?"

"Got anything fire flavored?" He asked.

"Not fire _flavored_ , however any dessert in the store can be lit on fire with a bit of high-proof alcohol dashed on it. The taste of the dessert won't change, but I'm sure you'll love the kick from the flame on top of it." The woman said happily, as though it weren't an odd request. It probably wasn't. Fairy Tail was Magnolia's residential wizardry guild, after all. And partiers loved fiery desserts being served. "I have some flammable alcohol in the kitchen. Just let me know which dessert to sprinkle it on."

"Great!" Natsu said with a wide grin. Finally! A fire flavored dessert! He had a sudden thought as he looked over at his blonde companion. "What if she accidently eats it?"

"It's completely safe in small, splash amounts, don't worry." The sales associate reassured.

"Thanks." He said in relief.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" The woman laughed lightly. Natsu shook his head. She smiled in amusement as she went over towards the blonde to see if she could be of any more assistance. The two women chatted for a bit before Lucy called him over.

"We should get some for the guild." The Celestial wizard said excitedly. She wanted to show the entire guild how cute and delicious looking these desserts were!

"Do you know how many members we have, Lucy?" Natsu asked rhetorically, knocking lightly on the blonde's head as if to knock some sense into her. "That'll cost us a fortune, especially since they're small and everyone eats a ton."

"Like you?" Lucy countered. He shrugged, not denying the claim. "Fine, then not for the guild."

"I bet you can probably eat this entire store by yourself and not get full." The Fire Dragon Slayer said in amusement.

"Are you calling me fat, Natsu Dragneel?" Lucy huffed.

"Aye." Natsu laughed, slinging his arm over the angry girl. "But that's okay, our next mission will clear it right up." The Celestial mage glared daggers at her partner.

"I'm going to get twenty shot cakes and you're going to pay for them all." She declared, crossing her arms and looking away. Natsu continued to chuckle, his arm tightening around her neck.

"How many can I have?" The Fire Dragon Slayer asked.

The sales associate stood to the side of the store, silently laughing at the couple. Young love was so cute.

"You're not allowed to have any." The blonde huffed.

"You're going to get chubby eating all of those cakes by yourself." Natsu commented, earning another glare from the Celestial mage.

"I'm giving them to our team!" Lucy blustered, stomping off to pick out some cakes in shot glasses.

"Never said you weren't still cute a bit chubby." Natsu laughed, following the blonde. The Celestial mage sent another icy glare at her partner.

* * *

"What did you drag me out here for?" Gray asked, crossing his arms.

"For a date, Gray-sama." Juvia said with a grin as she walked alongside the Ice Make mage.

"Shouldn't both parties agree on that first?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Then Juvia asks Gray-sama on a date." The Water mage said, turning hopeful eyes towards him. Gray hesitated.

"No."

"Then will Gray-sama, at least, hang out with Juvia? Juvia wishes to spend the day out in the city with a… friend." She replied softly, giving him a small smile.

"You have a whole guild full of friends, why me?" Gray asked, though he continued to tag along.

"Juvia believes Gray-sama knows the answer to that." The Water mage whispered under her breath.

"What?"

"Gray-sama is always the most fun to hang out with." Juvia replied, instead. He gave her a skeptical look.

The two of them walked through the bustling city streets in silence.

"Want to eat something?" Gray proposed. "My treat."

"Gray-sama doesn't have to do that. Juvia can pay for herself."

"You wanted a date, didn't you?" He asked over his shoulder as he walked towards the door to a small café. "Well, come on."

"Juvin!" Juvia squeaked rushing through the door the Ice Make wizard held open for her.

* * *

"Mm," Lucy hummed in delight. Her tongue swirled around the small spoon inside of her mouth, licking away all of the chocolate cream.

"Good?" Natsu asked in amusement, holding a carrying box handle in his hand. The Celestial mage nodded.

Now that dessert shopping was over, the pair was back to walking around the city aimlessly. Lucy had actually made him pay for the desserts, though he negotiated the amount down to ten shot cups of cake. And, even though he carried the box, Natsu wasn't allowed to eat any.

"Too bad you can't have any." She sang before shoving another small spoonful of chocolate cake into her mouth. He sighed. Guess joking about a person's weight was a no go.

Before long, Lucy finished the cake from the shot glass. The Celestial mage motioned for the pink haired man to hold out the carrying box and open it. She placed the empty shot glass in a small slot and picked up a different one. He closed the container at her request. The blonde held the cake shot in her hand as they walked about.

The Fire Dragon Slayer raised a questioning eyebrow as she left his side. Lucy went to inspect a food stand selling freshly roasted corn on the cob. He stopped to wait for his partner where she left him. Natsu saw the woman talk to the chef of the stand for a second before smiling brightly. He wondered what they were discussing. Natsu didn't have time to think about it as the Celestial mage walked back to him, carrying a fiery shot glass.

"What were you doing?" The Fire Dragon Slayer asked.

"Getting this lit, dummy." Lucy said as though it were obvious. "Here,"

"I thought you said I couldn't have any?"

"I'm not that mean." She huffed, holding out the shot glass. "Hurry, it's getting hot." Natsu quickly grabbed the dessert out of her hand. He gave her a wide grin. "There are four more in there with the alcohol spritzed on them."

"You're the best." He replied. Natsu felt the urge to lay a thank you kiss on her cheek. He leaned down to her level.

" _Everyone!"_

The both of them jumped in surprise. They looked around their surroundings, but realized that the voice came from their mind.

"Warren?" Lucy asked cautiously. A plethora of other voices asked various questions, making their heads spin.

" _For everyone that is still within the city limits,"_ Warren cut in through all the chaos. _"Master is calling an emergency meeting. Everyone available must get to the guild as soon as possible!"_ The voices of their guild mates returned in full blast. _"I repeat: everyone still within the city limits must report to the guild as soon as possible for an emergency meeting!"_

With that, the telepathy was cut off.

The Celestial mage looked towards her partner. The two of them nodded to each other. Natsu quickly tossed the shot glass in his mouth, making Lucy gasp and try to pry it out.

"You're not supposed to eat the glass!"

Natsu shrugged, spitting out the empty shot glass. The blonde looked at him weirdly. How'd he get all the cake out so fast? Natsu must be good with his tongue. Lucy felt her face turn red. Did she just think that?

He placed the shot glass back with the other cakes.

"Let's go." The Fire Dragon Slayer said, taking her hand in his and jogging to the guild.

The two of them ran through the crowd, carefully avoiding the citizens of Magnolia. As they made it to Fairy Tail grounds, they were met with other members rushing inside.

"What's going on?" Lucy asked the closest person.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Laki replied with a shrug. She looked down to the clasped hands of her guild mates. The Wood Make mage didn't comment, but raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What's this about?" Gray asked as he walked up to them just as he entered through the doors with Juvia.

"You were out, too?" The Celestial mage questioned.

"Any idea, Nab?" Natsu asked, turning to the person to the other side of the group.

"No clue. Master came in here with a serious face and grabbed Warren." The Animal Possession mage replied.

After a few more minutes to gather as many members as possible to the guild, Master Makarov stepped onto the stage. The Guild Master slowly looked over all of his children, nodding in satisfaction that a majority of them were there.

"Brats!" Makarov called. "We have an important guest in our guild today. Please welcome, Kyros Wembley."

A short, elderly man with slicked black hair, dark slanted eyes, and a bulbous nose walked onto the stage next to Makarov. The man had on a black suit with floral accents on the chest to represent Magnolia.

"Who's he?" Natsu whispered to the blonde by his side.

"The Mayor of Magnolia." Lucy hissed.

"Wizards of Fairy Tail," The mayor greeted. "Thank you for graciously attending this meeting." A round of, unsure, applause chorused through the group. "I am here to give you a proposition. This year, Magnolia will be hosting a Summer Carnival. And I would like you, Fairy Tail, to be the main attractions."

Whispers started to spread inside the guild. They were to be the main attraction? What was the mayor going to have them do?

"Kids, listen up!" Makarov cut through the crowd.

The mayor cleared his throat, "Of course, this is only if you accept the proposition. Within the next couple weeks, carnival rides will be set up in the park. Restaurants within the cities have also agreed to contribute. I was hoping Fairy Tail could provide other entertainment for our guests. You have complete liberty over what you would like to do. Create a spectacular show; hold autograph sessions, host mini games, anything! Of course, the guild as a whole will be paid handsomely for your work.

I have talked with your guild master, and we have agreed to let everyone discuss the matter before making the decision to participate. However, as Magnolia's pride and joy, I sincerely hope that you accept the offer." Mr. Wembley finished, bowing slightly to the group of mages.

"Thank you, Mayor Wembley, for the grand opportunity." Master Makarov said politely. The Fairy Tail wizards looked at each other. Since when did Master start saying 'grand?'

"I do hope to see you in three days at my office for your answer." Kyros said, walking off the stage. Everyone parted to make a path for the political figure.

The guild was silent. It was five minutes later when the chaos started.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Carnival?!"

"Are we considering this?"

"Why do I feel like we have too many events in Magnolia?"

"Brats!" Makarov yelled. Everyone settled down. "Take a seat." He waited. "I say we do it."

"Some discussion." Cana snorted, taking a swig of something alcoholic.

"We'll get paid for this, so we'll all take a share and the rest will go to Fairy Tail." Master continued, ignoring the Card mage. "Get to work!"

"What exactly are we working on?" Jet mumbled to his team. He looked around. Levy had bolted out of her seat. "Levy?"

"Lu-chan!" The Solid Script mage called, grabbing the Celestial mage's forearm and yanking the girl out of her seat.

"Levy-chan? What are you doing?" Lucy cried stumbling out of the bench attached to the table she sat at with her team. Natsu put his arm out, attempting to make sure she didn't fall. "Ouch, Levy-chan."

The little blue haired girl dragged the blonde to the other side of the guild without a word. Erza stood up from her seat and calmly followed. Natsu, Happy, and Gray looked at each other and shrugged.

"All right, Lucy. Tell us _everything._ " Mira insisted as she ushered the two girls up the stairs to a more secluded spot in the guild.

"Was Natsu being a gentlemen? I know he's not most of the time, but I'm thinking with you, it'd be different." Lisanna added.

"What?" Lucy asked in confusion. Mira pulled out a chair and push the Celestial wizard's shoulders down to get the blonde to sit.

"Are you two _together,_ now, Lu-chan?" Levy asked excitedly.

"N-N-No!" Lucy stuttered, blushing madly.

"But you two came in holding hands." Laki informed, coming up the stairs with Erza.

"Not you, too, Laki." The Celestial mage sighed.

"Sorry, Lucy-san." Wendy said sheepishly, peaking her head around the corner of the stair banister.

"Seriously?" Lucy sighed. "Look, nothing happened. It was just two friends going out for brunch and some dessert."

"But it was a date." Mira moped.

"It wasn't a date." The Celestial wizard denied.

"But don't you like Natsu?" Lisanna asked, sitting down next to the blonde.

"Like?" Lucy questioned, her cheeks flushing. "I…"

"Come on, don't tell me you've never thought about it?" Cana scoffed, walking towards the group with a bottle in her hand, Bisca at her side.

"Great, it's a party." Lucy grumbled.

"Have you?" Erza asked nonchalantly.

"I… I have." Lucy reluctantly admitted, earning quiet squeals from the Strauss sisters. "But whenever I do, it never ends well."

"What do you mean?" Wendy asked innocently, holding Charle in her arms.

"Well," Lucy trailed off, smiling sadly. "I would think that maybe I like him, or maybe he likes me. Then, later, I would just get a huge reminder that he sees me as nothing more than a friend."

"Oh, come now, Lucy." Mira soothed. "Why would you say that?"

"It was your fault once." The Celestial mage hissed softly. The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage cocked her head. "You made me think he liked me and I freaked out the whole day. Turns out he just wanted to use one of my Spirits."

"Oh my." Mira sighed, giggling softly. "Sorry, Lucy."

"Anyways," Lucy said, standing up. "I don't know why we're even all here talking about this. We all know Natsu doesn't do romance."

"Natsu could change. If it's the right girl." Bisca added.

"It's not as though he's romantically stunted." Erza commented.

"Romance just isn't something he looks for." Lucy replied.

"Come on, Lu-chan." Levy pleaded lightly. "Most of us have grown up with Natsu. He's different around you."

"What? No he's not." Lucy denied.

"Yes he is." The group of women harmonized.

"Wh-What? You've all gone mad." The blonde said nervously.

"Hey, I had Elfman start a brawl for you girls." Evergreen informed with a smirk as she joined the group. "Now, no one can eavesdrop."

"How thoughtful," Lucy whispered under her breath.

"Thanks, Evergreen." Mira replied happily. "Anyways, you should give it some thought, Lucy."

"He even holds your hand, nowadays." Laki reminded.

"He has always done that." The blonde stated.

"Just listen to him if he wants to talk." Lisanna cut in, taking both of Lucy's hands in hers. "He's a great guy." The Celestial mage felt her face heat up.

"I-I never said he wasn't a good guy." Lucy defended weakly. "You guys are saying this as though he actually likes me romantically."

"And what if he does?" The Re-quip mage asked.

Lucy felt her face heat up even hotter. At this rate, she'd get a head rush soon. She took her hands back from Lisanna and covered her cheeks.

"Then I'll cross that bridge if I ever come across it." The Celestial wizard answered. "But I don't think I'm his type of girl, anyways."

"What is his type of girl, then?" Mira asked curiously.

"I-I-I don't know! Most of you grew up with the guy. You tell me." Lucy said in a rush. "But… I imagine someone pretty. Someone strong."

"And who said you weren't?" Cana scoffed, slinging an arm over the blonde's shoulders.

"I doubt I can last ten seconds in a battle with the guy." Lucy chuckled dryly, looking to the ground. "I'm stronger, yeah, but it's not enough."

"Have some confidence in yourself." Mira encouraged, lightly tapping the Celestial mage's cheek as she walked back downstairs to do damage control. "Power isn't the only way to be strong."

"I think Natsu's type is someone he can get along with as a best friend." Lisanna said wistfully. "Someone that allows him freedom."

"Freedom?" Lucy asked with a raised eyebrow. "As if anyone can restrict his freedom."

"I suppose." The Take-Over: Animal Soul wizard laughed lightly. "Just… Don't write him off, yet."

The group became silent.

"You girls are exhausting, today." Lucy sighed uneasily, stepping out of Cana's hold. "I'm going to head home a bit early."

"Think about it, Lu-chan." Levy reminded.

The Celestial mage waved a hand, trying to seem unaffected. The fast beating of her heart said otherwise.

"Where are you going, Lucy?" Natsu asked when he saw his blonde partner walk towards the doors.

"I'm just tired. I'm going to head home." Lucy said, swallowing a nervous lump in her throat.

"Oh, are you feeling all right?" He asked, putting a hand to her forehead. The Celestial mage blushed once more.

"I-I'm fine!" Lucy insisted, tugging his hand down.

"Then, what about the desserts?" Natsu asked next.

"You can eat them. You did pay for them, after all." Lucy said, giving him a small smile as she sidestepped him. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Do you want me to walk you home?" The Fire Dragon Slayer suggested as she walked away.

"No, it's okay." The blonde said over her shoulder, quickening her pace to the door. Once she made it outside, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Lucy-san."

"Oh my-! Shit!" Lucy nearly screamed, jumping nearly two feet in the air. "Juvia! Don't scare me like that."

"Juvia apologizes." The Water mage replied, stepping out of the shadows. "Is Lucy-san all right?"

"Y-yeah!" The Celestial mage laughed nervously. "I'm just going home."

"Lucy-san seems lost in thought. Perhaps Juvia should escort you?" Juvia said.

"It's all right, really."

"Then, perhaps, just to lend an ear?"

Lucy paused for a second before exhaling, "If you insist. Let's get going, then."

The pair walked in silence until the guildhall was out of sight. Juvia shifted her eyes to look at her guild mate. Lucy was looking towards the ground, obviously troubled.

"Juvia is sorry. She did not mean to eavesdrop before."

"What?" The Celestial mage asked in confusion.

"With the other women." Juvia clarified, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it. They… ambushed me."

Silence reigned once more. The Water mage noticed Lucy had a worried facial expression.

"Is it awful?" Juvia asked suddenly.

"What is?"

"If Natsu-san were to be your loved one. Romantically."

"N-No! I never said that." Lucy defended quickly.

"Then how come Lucy-san is so worried about what the others have said?"

"It's just…" The blonde trailed off.

Juvia let the girl think before asking another question, "Does Lucy-san like Natsu-san?" The blush that appeared on Lucy's cheeks said it all. "Why not tell him?"

"I've said it before and I'll say it a million more times: Natsu isn't the type that looks for romance." Lucy sighed. "Besides, the feeling passed a long time ago."

"Passed?"

"It was easier to push it to the back of my mind, at the time." The Celestial mage replied with a shrug. "Eventually, I just didn't think of it anymore."

"And if, one day, he decides that he wants love?" Juvia questioned softly. Lucy looked towards the ground once more.

"Then he'll look for it, I guess. He's not one to give up on anything." The blonde answered honestly, looking towards the sky. "After spending day after day with him, I don't think I'm the one. His actions just aren't the 'romantic' type."

"Even now? It has been almost a full year."

"It's been over six months for me, too." Lucy responded with a small grin. "I've just been playing catch up, lately. I don't know what's the same and what's different, anymore."

Juvia stopped walking, making the Celestial mage stop as well. The blonde then realized they were in front of her apartment.

"Can Juvia suggest something?" The Water mage asked. Lucy nodded. "Lucy-san should stop trying to catch up to us. We never went anywhere in the first place."


	35. Confabs

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Five: Confabs

* * *

"Are you leaving to visit Lucy, Natsu?" Mira asked as she spotted the Fire Dragon Slayer walking towards the door.

"Yeah, we're going to go check on her." Natsu replied, gesturing to Happy.

"Make sure she has some dinner." Erza suggested. "She's had a lot to think about."

"What did you do to her?" The Fire Dragon Slayer questioned.

"Nothing harmful." Mira giggled. "Don't forget your desserts."

Natsu nodded, giving a weird look towards the Take-Over wizard and the Re-quip mage.

* * *

Lucy sighed, lying on her bed while staring at the ceiling.

Natsu liked her. _Like-liked_ her.

She finally got her mind wrapped around the thought. It was hard to believe. Natsu deserved so much better than her. He deserved someone who wasn't going to… Lucy didn't want to think about that possible future, yet.

When did his feelings start to be like this, anyways? He had never mentioned anything before. Besides, she was gone for almost a whole year! Why did he…? She blushed. Maybe that one saying was true. _Absence makes the heart grow fonder._

Even if she questioned every motive the boy had, she couldn't help but relish in the thought. He liked her.

He was a bit childish. Way too battle-ready. He couldn't eat neatly, even if he tried. He burned everything to ash. But he was also unbelievably loyal. Sweet when he wanted to be. He puts everyone he cherishes on a pedestal to be protected at all costs. The boy was pretty cute, too.

Lucy sighed again. She thought she had pushed these feelings back a long time ago.

Her magic pulsed, at that moment. The Celestial mage raised her arm above her and summoned a key to her hand. The key was glowing, urgently wanting to be called upon. Lucy raised an eyebrow as she sat up and walked into the kitchen, glowing key still in between her fingers. She went into the cupboards and grabbed a glass, filling it with tap water.

"She better not be mad at me for this." She mumbled, sticking the key into the liquid. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius." The blue haired woman appeared beside the Celestial wizard, holding a jug and looking towards the ground uneasily. "I think this is the first time you've been nervous in front of me." Lucy commented, leaning her back on the counter and crossing her arms comfortably.

"No need to make fun, kid." Aquarius scoffed.

"I'm not. Just casual observation." Lucy said gently. "What can I do for you?"

The Celestial Spirit became uncharacteristically quiet, once more. Lucy tilted her head to the side in confusion. The blonde waited patiently for her friend to say something.

"I need a favor."

"Was that really so hard to ask? You're too proud for you own good, Aquarius." Lucy questioned with a small laugh. "What's the favor?"

"Shut it." The Celestial Spirit huffed, but then calmed down. "It's my and Scorpio's anniversary, soon."

"How romantic." The blonde sighed contentedly. "Happy anniversary."

"I want to surprise him with a weekend to ourselves. In this realm."

"A weekend?!" Lucy screeched, surprised.

"You're strong enough now. You can sustain two Zodiac gates for a few days." Aquarius argued.

"Yeah, only if I don't use any more magic. I won't even be able to call Plue out."

"Fine." The blue haired woman sighed loudly, ready to close her gate.

"I never said I wouldn't do it, Aquarius." Lucy said, stopping her friend from leaving. "Just… tell me when so I can tell the others, and whoever is on guard duty those days."

"It's tomorrow in the Celestial World." Aquarius informed, in a better mood. "Probably a month's time in this realm."

"Where were you planning on going?

"That beach resort is pretty popular around here, isn't it?"

"Akane?" Lucy asked. "You have the money for that?" Aquarius stayed silent. "I'm broke and everyone knows it." The blonde sighed.

"Fine," Aquarius moaned. "You can call on me more during your jobs. I'll even work on my days off until the anniversary."

"I think I have a better idea." The Celestial wizard said with a smirk. "There's this carnival coming up."

"I'm not some side show freak."

"That wasn't what I was saying! Oh, come on." Lucy pouted, putting her hands together to start pleading. "Just do a water show or something for the day. If you work on that day, I'll figure something out for the resort."

"Don't let me down, kid." Aquarius relented.

"Have I ever?" The blonde asked happily.

"Yes."

Lucy's mouth fell open in shock as the smirking Spirit of the Water Bearer disappeared in a shimmer of gold.

"That was nice of you."

The Celestial mage screamed in surprise. She impulsively summoned her dagger and threw it where the voice came from. Her first instinct would've been to grab her whip, but the weapon was currently on top of the nightstand.

"Ah!" Happy screamed, flying to hide under the bed.

"Shit!" Natsu exclaimed, ducking as the dagger soared over his head, imbedding into the far wall.

"Natsu, Happy." Lucy gasped, putting her hands to her mouth in surprise. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Duly noted." The Fire Dragon Slayer gulped.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry." She profusely apologized, running to the pink haired man and inspecting him for injuries. "You're not hurt are you?"

"I have better reflexes than that." Natsu reminded proudly. Lucy rolled her eyes playfully.

"Are you all right, Happy?" She asked as she saw the Exceed crawl out from under the bed to sit on top of the covers.

"Lucy." Happy whimpered, tears in his eyes. The Celestial mage went over to pick up the cat and nuzzle his face.

"Sorry." She cooed in amusement.

"Here," Natsu interrupted, holding out a box. "I brought this for you."

"I told you to eat it." Lucy said in confusion, moving to sit on a chair by her table, Happy on her lap.

"But I bought it for you." Natsu sulked slightly. She couldn't help but smile at that.

"I'll go get a lighter, then." The Celestial mage said, setting Happy down on the tabletop and walking back into her kitchen.

"Do you have any fish, Lucy?" The Exceed asked.

"Probably in the fridge." She threw over her shoulder. Happy excitedly summoned his wings and followed the girl into the kitchen, raiding her fridge. "Here we go." Lucy said, walking back to the table with a lighter in hand. Natsu eagerly opened the box up, revealing less than savory desserts. Frosting covered the entire inside of the container.

"We knocked it off the table while fighting." The pink haired man replied sheepishly. Lucy gently plucked all of the tipped over shot glasses and put them on top of the table, lightly licking the frosting off of her fingers. Natsu guiltily watched her mouth close over the appendage.

"You better eat this quick, or else we're going to have a problem." Lucy said, cutting into his thoughts. The Dragon Slayer looked at her in confusion. She flicked the lighter on and carefully put it near the cardboard container. Some of the frosting was still covered in high-proof alcohol, allowing the mess to catch on fire easily.

Natsu let the flame fester for just a bit longer before devouring the treat, cardboard and all.

"Thanks, Lucy." He said with a cheeky grin.

"What are friends for?" She replied with a grin of her own. She scooped out a bit of strawberry cake from one of the shot glasses with her, already, sticky finger. "Besides, I should be thanking you for buying it."

"You've already thanked me."

"Then thank you for bringing it all the way over here." Lucy added, sitting down. The Celestial mage handed him one of the glasses before continuing to eat her own.

The two of them ate in silence.

"Lucy," The Fire Dragon Slayer whispered as he watched her finish the last of the strawberry cake.

"Hm?"

"We should date."

* * *

"You think she's ready?" Phoenix asked, leaning her elbows on the table and placing her head in her hands. The red head sighed loudly.

"With her performance recently, the others are considering her more." A petite woman said softly. She had red eyes with two black rings circling her pupil, shoulder length black hair, and donned a flowing black dress with a white bow near her sternum.

"She was reckless, Musca." Phoenix reminded.

"But she saved her friend."

"I suppose." Phoenix replied with a shrug, sitting up straight. "You know the gates will backfire on her if she receives the keys before the Spirits to them trust her, right?"

"Of course." Musca whispered, shying away. Phoenix patted the smaller woman on the head slightly.

"Yeah. I like her, too."

"It's a good thing we've been able to keep the humans away, for now." A masculine voice said from behind the two girls. "It gives Lucy more time to prove herself."

"Draco, what a pleasant surprise." Phoenix greeted, turning so the side of her body faced the man.

"Hello," Musca said politely, quietly.

"What can we do for you?" Phoenix asked.

"The Zodiacs." Draco said, stopping right in front of them and crossing his arms. His black trench coat lightly swayed at the movement. "They've asked our owner to open two gates for three Earth Land days."

"Great." Phoenix replied with a roll of her green eyes.

"Do we need another guard on those days?" Musca asked.

"Intuitive, as always, Musca." Draco praised.

"Who'd you have in mind, _leader_?" Phoenix asked seductively, reaching up to caress his jawline.

"I came to ask if you've seen your boyfriend." Draco answered, taking her fingers to hold in his hand like a gentleman – clearly used to the gestures.

"Oh, is he going to take the double shift?" Phoenix questioned. "He's out with Mon-Mon, again. I'm sure you know where."

"Thanks." Draco said evenly, releasing his soft hold on the red head's fingers. "Take care, you two."

"You, as well." Musca said, bowing slightly as he left.

"You're still so formally polite, even after all these years." Phoenix joked.

"And you still flirt with the Earth Land-ers, after all these years with a significant other." Musca countered shyly. The red haired woman laughed jovially.

"He does it, too. You know our rules," Phoenix said with a wink. "No intimate hugs, kissing, or serious romantic gestures."

"If you say so, Phoenix." The black haired female said softly.

* * *

"Wh-what?" Lucy squeaked. She watched him closely as he got out of his chair and walked closer to her. The Celestial mage swallowed a nervous lump, inching as far back in her seat as possible.

"The two of us," He whispered, leaning his lips close to her ear. Natsu put his hands on the backrest of her chair to steady himself, inadvertently trapping her. "We've known each other for a long time now."

"S-So?" She stuttered, her cheeks turning red.

"You don't feel anything?" The Fire Dragon asked with a slight grimace. He moved up, lips grazing her forehead. "Your heart is racing, Lucy."

"You're c-close."

Natsu nervously gulped. He figured it was now or never. The pink haired man hunched a bit farther, his breath now fanning against her lips.

"You can free yourself." He informed softly, his lips occasionally brushing against Lucy's as he talked. He would allow her to escape from this position. He would allow her to escape from him. As long as she was happy, in the end, it didn't matter what emotional turmoil he had to endure.

Natsu waited. He felt his heart rate pick up speed.

Lucy stared at him owlishly. He wasn't moving. Was he awaiting an answer? Did he want her to move first? His lips were still, ever so slightly, pressing against her own. The Celestial mage shifted her eyes down.

"Na-"

Her head moved back slightly as he fully enclosed her lips with his. Lucy made a small sound of surprise. She blinked a few times, wrapping her mind around the action. His lips moved carefully against hers. Her hands slowly lost the tight grip she had on the chair, shoulders relaxing. She felt her eyes fall close, tilting her head slightly upwards to meet him better. Were his lips always this soft? Were they the same lips that spewed cursory words at their enemies?

Natsu pushed closer to her just a bit further, desperately seeking the answer to his question. She smelled of something subtly sweet, something that tickled his sensitive sense of smell. He had been addicted to this scent for months, now.

Their kiss tasted of frosting, though whom it came from, neither knew. Neither cared. Lucy raised her hands from her seat, about to glide her arms around his waist. The back of the chair groaned in protest as Natsu's grip tightened on the wooden frame. The small noise jolted their minds back into gear. The sounds of the city filtered back into their ears.

"Lucy?" He breathed nervously. The Fire Dragon Slayer touched his forehead to hers. His question still hung in the air.

"Okay."

* * *

"Cana! Cana!"

The doors to the guild burst open, revealing a flying, blue Exceed.

"What's going on?" Mirajane asked.

"Cana!" Happy yelled in excitement, landing on the Card mage's table. "Today!"

"Today?" The brunette asked in confusion.

"The bets! Today!" Happy continued to yell.

Cana stared in bewilderment before it clicked, "You mean Natsu finally made a move? Tch, finally." She stood up, slamming her mug onto the table to get everyone's attention. "The people who had their money put for today, come and get it!"

The guild cheered boisterously, some noticeably louder than others.

"We should have a celebration tomorrow." Mira suggested happily. It was getting late; most of the members had gone home for dinner. "How did they confess? Did they kiss? Who asked?" She rambled off quickly.

"Natsu said that they should date." Happy informed, extending his arms out enthusiastically.

"Manly!" Elfman exclaimed, flexing his arms.

"And Lucy said yes?" Lisanna asked hopefully, putting her hands together.

"I don't know." Happy replied with a shrug, his smile never leaving his face.

The guild went silent.

"Knew it. Even bunny girl has standards." Gajeel scoffed, chewing on a bolt.

* * *

"Things are going to change." Lucy whispered in worry, staring down at the wooden table.

"What things?" Natsu asked, leaning on the table and crossing his arms.

"The team dynamic, our friendship, the way the others treat us…" She listed, trailing off. "How will Erza, Gray, and Wendy take it?"

"You're so weird." He scoffed, lifting himself onto the table to sit directly in front of her.

"Hey," Lucy complained, looking up with a slight glare.

"None of that has to change." Natsu said seriously, moving a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "The team will stay the same, our friendship is never going anywhere, and the others are still our guild mates. Our family." He paused, taking his hand back. The Fire Dragon Slayer leaned back. "The only thing that will change is how we feel about each other… how we are to each other."

Natsu stayed quiet, allowing the blonde to soak in the information.

"When'd you get so smart?" Lucy asked jokingly, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Hey," He complained, this time. She giggled lightly.

"Where's Happy?"

"Good question." The Fire Dragon Slayer said, looking towards the kitchen. "Hey, buddy! Are you still in there? You can come out now!"

The couple was answered with silence. Natsu hopped off of the table, slightly jostling all of the small shot cakes. He went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"Happy?" Lucy called, looking around the rest of her apartment for the blue fur ball.

"He must've gone to the guild." Natsu said nonchalantly. The Celestial mage blushed brightly.

"E-Everyone's going to know!"

"They were going to know by tomorrow, anyways." Natsu laughed. She heard him rummaging through her fridge. "Are you going to eat this?"

"Stay out of my fridge!"

* * *

…Next Day… Early Afternoon…

* * *

"You think Natsu is at the guild, yet, Plue?" Lucy asked absently, lightly treading on the edge of the canal.

"Puu pun!" The Spirit of the Little Dog replied happily, skipping next to her.

"Hm… Boyfriend." She whispered. "I never imagined he would get that title. You know what I mean, Plue? He was just so dense and he never looked twice at me. At least, not romantically." She couldn't help but grin. "I guess Erza was right. Things do change."

"Puun."

"I just know I'm going to get ambushed once we get there." Lucy sighed, picking up the little white dog. The gate into the guild was in view. "Here goes nothing."

"Puu pun!" Plue encouraged from her arms.

The Celestial wizard softly pushed the doors open, peaking inside before fully stepping in. Everything seemed normal. No one noticed her yet. Act natural.

"Lucy!" Mirajane called excitedly from behind the bar. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? I'll have something ready for you in just a second."

"She's me buttering me up." Lucy whispered in a panic to herself. She felt Plue nod his head. "Oh gosh, what does she want?"

"Come and sit." Kinana suggested, greeting the frozen Celestial mage at the front door. The purple haired woman lightly grabbed Lucy's wrist, walking towards the bar stools.

Even sweet Kinana was in on it! Where was Natsu, anyways? As her new boyfriend, he had to come save her! It was certain peril over by Mirajane. Oh, good lord, everyone's eyes were on her. Lucy felt her cheeks heat up. Gray, Erza, and Wendy looked confused, however. Did Happy not blab to them? As Kinana dragged her pass their table, Lucy could hear Charle whisper that she was going to ask Pantherlily. Fantastic.

"Here you go, Lucy." Mira said with a cheerful smile. The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage put down a plate piled with scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon, and French toast smothered in powdered sugar. Next came the glass of orange juice _and_ a strawberry smoothie.

Lucy carefully placed Plue on the counter, sitting in the stool in front of the food.

"Thanks," The Celestial mage said cautiously. Mira's smile got bigger, handing the Celestial Spirit a lollipop.

"What's going on?" Erza asked, coming to sit beside the blonde.

"Everyone has this… creepy grin on their face." Gray informed, leaning on the counter.

"You guys left pretty early yesterday." Mira giggled, prompting Lucy to blush harder. So Happy really did go to the guild. "You'll just have to wait."

"For what?" The Ice Make mage questioned, crossing his arms over his bare chest. The Take-Over mage answered with only a smile. Gray raised questioning eyebrow, but sat down next to his teammates. "Let's take a job, soon."

"Yes! Let's! Now?" Lucy asked excitedly.

"Uh," The Ice Make mage stuttered, surprised by the blonde's enthusiasm.

"How about tomorrow?" Mira suggested. Her cheerful grin didn't mask the old She-Devil personality leaking through.

"Okay," The Celestial mage backed down softly.

"Have you done something to anger her, Lucy?" Erza asked in a whisper. The blonde shook her head quickly.

The Take-Over mage waited patiently, catering to the other patrons in the guild in-between checking on the Celestial mage frequently. The second that Lucy finished her brunch; Mirajane took the plates and glasses into the kitchen before hurrying back out. She turned the girl around in her seat to face the rest of the guild.

"So," Mira trailed off.

"So?" Lucy asked. She felt a nervous sweat break out.

"Pun puu!" Plue exclaimed, lifting up a clean lollipop stick. Lucy mentally sighed in relief. Her Celestial Spirit sure knew when to save her. Where the heck was Natsu?!

Mira hid a frown, reaching over the bar counter and handing the little dog another treat.

"Good morning, Natsu-san, Happy." Wendy greeted, suddenly. The Sky Dragon Slayer smiled widely at her idol, having gotten the run down from Charle.

"Morning." Natsu replied, not noticing anything out of the ordinary.

"Mira, can I have some fish?" Happy asked, flying quickly to the white haired glamour model.

"Breakfast for me, too, please." Natsu added, stopping just in front of Lucy. Erza was on one side of the girl and Gray on the other. He didn't want to sit too far from the blonde.

"Not until you and Lucy answer some questions." Mira denied with a wag of her finger.

"But Lucy got to eat." Natsu pouted.

"How can you tell?" Erza questioned, putting a forkful of cake in her mouth.

"She has some powdered sugar on her. Right here," The Fire Dragon Slayer informed, wiping the small spot on the corner of Lucy's lips with his thumb.

The guild erupted into either coos or scoffs. The Re-quip mage nearly choked on the bite of dessert she had just eaten. Gray, on the other hand, became slack jawed.

"So it's true?" Mira asked, hope in her eyes. Lucy nodded sheepishly with bright red cheeks.

"Can I eat now?" Natsu asked.

"No, you have to be bribed in different ways in order to get some juicy information." Lisanna giggled, eagerly coming over and sitting at the table closest to the group. "How'd it happen?"

"Ugh, I totally lost that bet." Gray groaned, letting his head fall onto the bar counter. "I was so sure Natsu was never going to be able to get any girl."

"Hey!" The Fire Dragon Slayer growled.

"No more love rival!" Juvia cheered. "Did Lucy-san confess first, or did Nastu-san?"

"He didn't do anything inappropriate, did he?" Erza asked, murder lurking in her eyes if she received the wrong answer.

"I thought Happy would've tattled yesterday." Lucy mumbled, the blush on her cheeks lightening up.

"Aye!" The blue Exceed exclaimed, chewing on a fish next to Plue.

"He only got to the part where Natsu asked you to date." Mira informed.

"We kissed. I went home. The end. Can I get some food now?" Natsu cut in, trying to save the blonde from any further interrogation.

Squeals of excitement pierced into the Fire Dragon Slayer's ears.

"That's it?" Erza asked, just to be sure.

"Come on, Lu-chan. You're a writer, describe it to us." Levy piped in, skipping over to the same table Lisanna sat at.

"Did you do _it_? Is little Lucy growing up?" Cana guffawed, lifting up a mug full of alcohol.

The Celestial wizard hid her red face in her hands.

* * *

… Later…

* * *

"On to the more serious stuff." Mirajane announced with a satisfied smile. She handed Lucy another strawberry smoothie. "About your disappearance…"

The blonde desperately gulped down some of the smoothie in attempt to cool down her cheeks. Why did everyone have to try and make things more embarrassing than the actual events were?

The guild fell silent.

"Well," Lucy trailed off, clutching to cold drink in her hands. She swung her legs in her seat, thinking. "Loke kidnapped me in Anistar City. Then he took me to the Celestial Realm for two days, which was six months in Earth Land." Lucy paused and bit her lip. She had wanted to avoid talking about this for as long as possible. Guess nothing was secret in Fairy Tail for long. "Remember when the Celestial Realm collapsed because of the Eclipse Gate?"

"Yeah. All of the Zodiac Spirits and the Spirit King turned into opposites of themselves." Levy answered.

"Mhm," Lucy agreed. "But besides that, this realm was getting all kinds of weird weather, wasn't it?"

"So you're saying that their world is connected to ours." Erza said.

"And if their world dies, so does ours." Gray added with a sigh.

"Exactly." The Celestial mage confirmed.

"So they needed you to learn all of this stuff for…?" Natsu asked.

"There is… _something_ in this world that needs to be protected." Lucy replied vaguely. "Something that connects their world to ours."

"What is it?" Mira asked gently.

"I can't say." The blonde said sheepishly.

"Who do you need to protect it from?" Lisanna questioned next.

"…I can't say."

"What kind of damn contract did you sign?" Gray scoffed.

"One with the King." The Celestial mage informed.

"And when can you tell us? If at all?" Master Makarov asked, coming down from the second floor where he was listening in.

"When I earn the trust of the majority of the Beasts." Lucy said. "If they can't trust me, they especially can't trust my friends. And when they do trust me, I'm allowed to make a contract with them."

"Can't you just make a contract with them now, bunny girl? Those silver and gold keys don't seem to need any trust." Gajeel asked from his corner of the guild.

"These keys are special." Lucy sighed. "If I try to make a contract with them when they don't trust me, it'll backfire. I won't be able to make a contract with them at all, after that."

"And if you decide to tell us and break the contract with the King?" Cana asked next.

"Then I'd lose all of my contracts, be exiled from the Celestial World, and will never be able to sign another contract with a Celestial Spirit for as long as I live." Lucy replied, smiling brightly to lighten up the atmosphere. They stayed silent to wrap their minds around the new information.

"We'll help you out." Natsu declared, putting his arm around Lucy's shoulders as he squeezed in between Gray's chair and her chair. "Like always, right?"

"Like always," Lucy agreed, her smile turning carefree, dispelling any worries her guild mates had.

"I need a drink." Cana sighed, lifting up her empty mug.

"I need a nap." Max sighed, leaning his head down on the table he sat at.

"Sorry, you guys." Lucy apologized. "You asked."

"Puun pu!" Plue yelled suddenly, standing up on the bar counter. The little Celestial Spirit continued to shiver, but had an excited smile on his face.

"Lucy-nee!" A high-pitched voice echoed inside the guild.

A flash of black light emerged in the middle of the guild. A little girl of ten years old appeared out of the light. She had pale skin, dark grey eyes, and lightly curled, long reddish-brown hair. A short, white kimono was donned on her body. It had billowing sleeves and stopped at mid thigh. The outfit was tied with a big white bow at her waist, the bow on her back. Black socks traveling up to the girl's thighs adorned her feet with a pair of black combat boots.

All in all, the young girl was adorable. The fox ears that were the same color as her hair and tipped with black made the girl even cuter. A bushy tail brushed back and forth as she ran to the Celestial wizard. A fang-bearing grin appeared on her lips.

"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked, patting the young girl on her head.

"Is story time over, yet?" The young girl asked with a pout. "You promised."

Lucy laughed, hopping out of her seat, thus out from under Natsu's arm. Plue jumped off of the bar counter, landing on the young girl's shoulder.

"I did, didn't I?" The Celestial wizard said.

"Who's this cutie?" Mira asked, kneeling down to the young girl's height.

"I'm Vulpecula, miss." The Celestial Spirit girl said with a deep bow. Lucy plucked Plue off of the girl's shoulder before the dog tumbled to the ground. "Spirit of the Fox."

Mira couldn't help but coo cutely.

"You never told us you had such adorable Spirits, Lucy." Erza commented, kneeling on the other side of the young girl.

"Polite, too." Gray laughed lightly.

"You should meet Wendy." Natsu commented, motioning for the Sky Dragon Slayer to come over.

"We're about to get some ice cream." Lucy informed. "I promised Vulpy, here, that when it was her turn on guard duty, I'd take her to get some Earth Land ice cream."

"Why do you need a guard, Lucy-san?" Wendy asked as she walked over. The blue haired girl bowed slightly and stuck out her hand to shake. "I'm Wendy. It's very nice to meet you."

"You, as well." Vulpecula replied, shaking the guild girl's hand. "Lucy-nee needs a body guard because the Zodiacs spent so much time training her. It'll be a shame if something happened to her after all of their hard work. Especially when she runs out of magic. That's why we can get here on our own."

"Such dark words coming from a little girl." Jet mumbled to Droy. The Plant mage nodded.

"All right, we're going." Lucy said hurriedly, putting her hand on Vulpecula's back to get the girl moving. "Anyone want to join us? Wendy? Romeo?"

* * *

…

* * *

"Vulpy, don't get so close." Lucy warned.

The group of Lucy, Vulpecula, Plue, Wendy, and Charle came back from their ice cream outing to find Erza and Pantherlily sparring in the courtyard. The innocent Spirit of the Fox stood near the fighting duo with a cocked head, her ice cream cone clutched in one hand. Her tail waved once.

"That didn't take long." Natsu commented from his position lying on a bench outside.

"Come over here, Lucy. You too, Wendy, Charle." Gray said, waving them over to the table. The Fire Dragon Slayer sat up, freeing up room for the girls.

"We were talking about our next job!" Happy exclaimed, holding up a fish.

"We should go tomorrow." Natsu said, picking up the Celestial Spirit of the Little Dog from the ground and placing him on the table next to the Exceeds.

"Sounds good to me." Lucy agreed.

"To us, too." Wendy added, licking the ice cream. She was a bit more mature than Vulpecula, but the delight of ice cream was still too tempting.

"We were thinking this one." Gray said, sliding over a slip of paper.

"Okay." Lucy said slowly, reading the job description. She never noticed Natsu taking a bite of her ice cream and shivering as he got brain freeze for just a second. The little puff of fire Natsu let out quickly dispelled the sensation. "So why is Erza fighting with Lily?"

"Erza wanted to sharpen her skills before tomorrow." Natsu scoffed, pouting slightly at not being picked as a practice partner.

"At least they did it outside." Charle sighed.

"Puun pu!" Plue agreed with a shiver.

"It's a nice day." Gray commented, looking around. Most of the guild had decided to spend the rest of the day in the courtyard. After the previous discussion, everyone needed a bit of relaxation. The group could hear laughter and splashes coming from the pool area.

"Lucy-nee! Lucy-nee!" Vulpecula called excitedly, rushing over toward the table. The blonde Celestial mage looked towards her Spirit questioningly. "I bet there's someone that can give them a run for their money."

Natsu looked towards his other teammates. They stared back with confusion written on their faces. There was someone that could give _Erza_ and _Pantherlily_ a run for their money?

"I don't know if that's such a good idea. We're trying to keep the guild intact." Lucy said nervously.

"I say do it." Gray chuckled. "It's not everyday that those two get a challenge."

"Can't wait to see this." Natsu snickered, putting an arm around Lucy's shoulders again.

"I'm going to regret this." Lucy sighed, re-quipping a black key into her hand. "Open, Gate of the Swordfish, Dorado."

Vulpecula stared excitedly at the black magic circle that appeared beside her.

"Yo! What can I do for you today, girly?" A man asked as he manifested from the black light.

"You up for a bit of exercise?" Lucy asked.

Dorado, a man with tanned skin, sapphire eyes, and electric blue hair with a streak of white in the middle, turned to watch the two wizards parry.

"I bet you can beat them, Dorado-nii." Vulpecula cheered. The Spirit of the Swordfish patted her head.

"Sure, I can give your friends a bit of a work out." Dorado chuckled, stretching his arms. The black wet suit he wore stretched easily against the movement.

"Erza, Lily!" Lucy called, halting the battle briefly. "We challenge you!"

"What?" The Re-quip mage questioned. She quickly brought up her sword, blocking one from a man she had never seen.

"Yo," Dorado greeted cheekily. "You're pretty quick."

Erza quickly re-quipped another sword into her other hand, holding off Lily. The red head noticed the man do the same.

"He's a Re-quip user, too. The same type as Erza, actually." Lucy informed, turning back to the others. The clash of metal against metal kept echoing in the air. She licked her ice cream and noticed a huge chunk was missing.

"Lucy-san?" Wendy called, watching the Celestial Spirit of the Fox run around excitedly, inspecting everything possible.

"It's okay, Vulpy is just excited to explore Earth Land again. She's usually a lot calmer." Lucy giggled, leaning into Natsu's side.

"We should get Asuka here." Gray suggested.

"Where are Bisca and Alzack, anyways?" Happy asked.

"Speak of the devils." Charle said, watching the Connell family stroll in through the gate.

The team saw little Vulpecula run up to the family excitedly. Vulpecula bowed deeply towards the family. They chatted cheerfully for a while before the Celestial Spirit pulled Asuka away to go play. Bisca and Alzack headed towards their table.

"That cute little girl is one of yours, Lucy?" Bisca asked in amusement.

"Don't say it like she's my daughter." The Celestial mage replied with a slight blush.

"Right, because they'd probably have pink hair." Gray joked, making the blonde blush even more.

"At least they won't be as ugly as yours." Natsu argued with a smirk. It came as no surprise to the group when the two men started a verbal argument. It'd probably escalate to a physical brawl, soon enough.

"Is it all right for them to wander off so far?" Alzack questioned seriously, watching the two girls run out of the gates to play tag without all of the tables in the way.

"It's okay. Vulpecula is one of the top five strongest out of all of the Beast Keys." Lucy reassured.

"How many are there?" Charle questioned. Plue and Happy, who were next to her, started talking. She wondered how Happy could understand the little creature.

"Thirty." Lucy answered.

" _That_ little girl is that strong?" Bisca gasped, turning her head quickly to look at the children.

"Don't judge a book by its cover." Lucy laughed freely.

The group looked at each other. They turned towards the Celestial Spirit parrying against Pantherlily and Erza. The two most skilled in swordplay within the guild were almost reduced to defending themselves. They turned to the laughing girls just outside of the guild's gates. A little girl who didn't look any older than ten years old was amongst the top five strongest of the bunch.

Just who were these _Beasts?_

Natsu turned to look at his new girlfriend. Whatever they were fighting for, whatever they were fighting against…had to be strong.


	36. Teamwork

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Six: Teamwork

* * *

"It's been so long." Lucy hummed happily, linking her arm with Erza's as the two girls walked ahead of the pack.

"You are awfully cheerful, this morning, Lucy-san." Wendy giggled.

"We're back together as a team," The Celestial wizard started to list off. "I can start making some money, if all things go well, and I get to spend time with you guys. What's there not to be cheerful about?"

"Going on a train." Natsu grumbled from the back of the group.

"Pitiful, as always." Gray sighed.

"What was that, ice cube?" The Fire Dragon Slayer growled, pushing his forehead against the Ice Make mage's.

"I thought you had good hearing, hot sauce." Gray fired back.

"Are you fighting on Lucy's happy day?" Erza asked, sending a glare over her shoulder and around her luggage.

"No ma'am." The two boys squeaked.

"Aye." Happy snickered, flying alongside Charle. The white Exceed shook her head.

"So, Erza," Lucy started, still smiling widely. "Have you gotten any new armor?"

"Oh, here we go." Gray said under his breath. Natsu nodded in agreement.

* * *

"You're working alone today, Kinana?" Max asked, accepting the drink the barmaid place in front of him.

"Mirajane went to a glamour shoot for Sorcerers Weekly. She's promoting the carnival." Kinana replied.

"I call exploitation." Laki grumbled.

"She didn't seem too broken up over it." Kinana informed with a light giggle. "I think they're making it into a family outing. Besides, Mira rather enjoys modeling."

"I didn't even notice that Lisanna and Elfman weren't here, either." Max said in surprise.

"Don't let them hear you say that." Laki joked.

"Especially Mira." Kinana added.

* * *

"What kind of monsters are we going after, again?" Happy asked, gnawing on a fish.

The train rocked in almost a rhythmic motion. With the team being so large, they took up four benches. Erza and Gray sat on one bench, Wendy shared hers with the Exceeds, and Natsu had instantly put his head on Lucy's lap, lying on another bench. The Celestial mage couldn't help but blush slightly.

"Vulcans, giant lizards, monster birds, anything that dwells in the mountains." Erza answered, carefully checking over a spear.

"Hikers should be more careful." Wendy said worriedly.

"They shouldn't be messing with the mountain animals or monsters, anyways." Charle commented.

"How many are we supposed to subdue?" Lucy questioned.

"They disrupted one huge monster, which annoyed another, which awoke another. I'd say a lot." Gray said with a shrug.

"Fantastic." The Celestial mage replied, a bit sarcastically. Natsu groaned, rolling onto his back. She patted his head lightly.

"Get me off of this thing." The Fire Dragon Slayer complained.

"Would you like Erza to help you?" Lucy asked, trying hard not to smirk.

"You're so cruel, Lucy." Happy commented. "No wonder you've never had a boyfriend."

"Happy!" Wendy gasped.

Lucy felt her hand tighten into a fist. This cat.

Natsu turned his head into the Celestial mage's stomach, hiding his amused smile.

* * *

"Perfect, like always, Mira-san." The Sorcerers Weekly photographer praised. "Please, see Jason in the other room with your siblings."

"Thank you for all of your hard work." Mira replied pleasantly. She went into the changing room and slipped on a cute, pink dress after removing her bikini.

"Mira-nee!" Lisanna called, waving her older sibling over.

"Beautiful, like usual." Elfman commented. "Manly job."

"Cool! Cool! Cool!" Jason exclaimed. "Are we ready for the interview?"

"Yes, we're all set." Mira said pleasantly, sitting on the couch in between her siblings.

"Cool! Okay," Jason started, taking out his notepad. "There is a carnival coming up in Magnolia, correct?" The Take-Over Siblings nodded. "What kind of attractions will be taking place there?"

"Fairy Tail has been asked to entertain our guests with various games and booths. We're all currently thinking of something fun to do." Mira informed happily.

"Have any of you thought of what to do?" Jason asked excitedly, scribbling away in his notebook furiously.

"I guess we can give you a sneak peak." Mira giggled, looking to her sister.

"I'll be taking people soaring into the sky." Lisanna said. "Flying is quite fun, don't you think?"

"And I'll be testing how manly you are!" Elfman exclaimed, flexing his arm.

"In other words, a test of strength." Lisanna clarified.

"And you, Mira-san?" Jason questioned eagerly.

"Oh, I'm not so sure yet." Mira admitted sheepishly, putting a hand on her cheek. "I was thinking about using Transformation magic to blend with the other Fairy Tail members and see if anyone can find me."

"Will there be a prize for finding you?" The reporter inquired.

"You'll have to visit the carnival to find out." Mira laughed lightly.

* * *

"I see. So these hikers went off of the designated trail and disturbed the wildlife." Erza said in understanding.

"Correct. I need you to subdue these animals and monsters." Their client confirmed with a stern expression on her face. Business was halted, after all. "Once you complete this task, I will be more than happy to pay you the promised amount."

"Of course." The Re-quip wizard said, standing up from her seat. The rest of her team followed suit. "We will complete it without fail."

"Please do so." The woman replied, opening the door for the Fairy Tail mages to leave the operations building.

The group made their way out towards the hiking trail in silence, admiring the amazing scenery of untouched nature.

Too busy looking over the treetops, Lucy tripped over a small rock, quickly righting herself. Natsu glanced to his side, slipping his hand into hers and weaving their fingers together. The Celestial mage looked over, seeing him shoot her a grin. She felt her cheeks heating up. So he saw her trip and wanted to prevent any future accidents. How embarrassing.

"Do you think there's fish around here?" Happy asked, flying alongside Charle.

"If you can find a lake or something, there might be." Gray replied absently, stretching his arms above his head. His back muscles stretched tautly.

"Let's take care of these monsters first." Erza directed.

"But we can't fight on an empty stomach, right, buddy?" Natsu asked.

"Aye!" The blue Exceed exclaimed.

"You ate on the train, Happy." Wendy reminded.

"And you ate at the guild this morning." Lucy commented to the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"These boys." Charle sighed.

"I wouldn't mind stopping for a bite to eat. We have to hike five miles, uphill, before getting to the animal and monster territories, anyways." Gray said.

The Re-quip mage felt like running a hand down her face, but kept her composure as she replied, "We'll stop for an early lunch break after hiking three miles."

* * *

"Hey, old man." Gajeel grunted, knocking on the open office door.

"What can I do for you?" Master Makarov asked with his usual smile. He sat behind his large desk, filling out forms to send to the Mayor of Magnolia pertaining to the upcoming carnival.

"You told us to tell you what we need for our entertainment booth." The Iron Dragon Slayer said.

"Yes, so I can ask the Mayor for the supplies."

"And so we don't have to pay for it." Gajeel said with a chuckle. "I need a stage."

"A stage?" Makarov questioned.

"I'll be singing."

"Of course you will be." Master said. He should have known. "Where should I ask the Mayor to put it?"

"Don't particularly care." Gajeel said with a shrug, walking out of the office with a wave of his hand.

"Should we put the stage in the corner of town?" Pantherlily asked, flying into the office sneakily. He had been listening just outside of the doorway.

"Or just use the guild's stage and close the doors." Makarov joked. "I'm sure it'll be fine. There has to be someone that enjoys it."

* * *

The group stood together. The earth shook violently in rhythmic intervals. Footsteps. They saw it stand above the tree line. The monster was similar in size and shape as ones found on Tenrou Island. Birds with sizeable teeth cawed at the disturbance, flying out of their homes and circling in the sky. Other monsters and animals that had been disturbed from their homes by the hikers started coming out of hiding.

"Get ready," Erza whispered. She noticed that all of the creatures were fairly close to the hiking path they travelled on. Humans were easy pickings, perhaps?

The seven of them stood in a ready stance. They had to be ready to both defend and attack. No one knew which would be needed first.

Humans and Exceeds were against the wildlife that resided on the mountainside.

"There are a lot." Gray mumbled, putting his fist into his other palm.

"More than you'd expect from just two hikers messing around." Lucy added cautiously. The Celestial mage saw Natsu putting himself in between her and the oversized monster walking their way. She appreciated the gesture, but she didn't want to rely on him. She couldn't rely on him forever.

Everything paused for a split second.

The large monster tilted its head back, charging a sphere of orange colored magic.

The beam torpedoed directly at them.

Erza and Natsu jumped to the side. Gray stood his ground and created an ice shield to protect the other girls and the cats. The beam smashed into the shield, splitting into two beams.

Lucy took the time to prepare her spell, her right eye turning sapphire blue with a whisper, "Doradus."

"Re-quip," The red haired wizard chanted. She summersaulted in midair, changing into her Flight armor. Erza held two swords in her hands, directing her attack to the right side.

The monster roared in annoyance, a slice appearing in its side as the Re-quip mage jumped away.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu yelled, coming in from the left, immediately after his comrade.

"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy yelled. Her roar soared over the ice shield protecting her.

"Go!" Lucy commanded at the same time. She motioned her arm forward, controlling a multitude of swords made of black colored magic.

The two attacks raged side-by-side. It hit the monster on its upper chest area, making the creature stumble back.

Without a word, Gray narrowed his eyes. Ice lances came out from the middle of his shield. The attack landed in the same spot. The monster screeched in anger and pain, swiping at the trees with its large claws. Foliage pounded at the ice shield. It started cracking. Charle took Wendy into the air.

"Open, Gate of the Bull, Taurus!" The Celestial wizard summoned, holding a golden key in front of her.

"Moo!" Taurus yelled, coming out of his gate raring to go. He swung his axe, splitting trees in half and splitting the earth. "I'll protect your nice body, Lucy-san!"

The Celestial mage sighed.

Gray turned around, "Ice Make: Saucer!" The attack arched around his blonde comrade and her Celestial Spirit, ridding the immediate surroundings of the monsters creeping up on them. Lucy swung her arm across her body. Black swords appeared out of thin air, shooting across the field and swiftly maneuvering around Taurus and Gray.

Smaller monsters screamed in pain as they were batted away. Animals growled viciously, shaking off the pain to protect their territory and possibly get an easy meal.

"Natsu!" Happy yelled, swooping down from the sky to scoop up his partner.

"All right! From above, buddy!" Natsu said, kicking away the last of the small fry that had targeted him.

"Aye sir!" The blue Exceed exclaimed, flying straight up. Soon, the duo was directly above the big monster's head.

The monster moved its head, sending another beam of magic towards the earth. Erza speedily dodged the attack, outrunning the monster's magic speed. She pivoted on her heels, attacking the monster's exposed abdomen area repeatedly.

"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flames!" Natsu yelled, sending a large fireball plummeting towards the monster's head. Erza shifted her eyes upward, flipping out of the way of the fiery attack.

"Re-quip: Heaven's Wheel Armor." The red head chanted. "Blumenblatt!" Her swords flew across the landscape, monsters and animals of all shapes and sizes getting hit and pushed back.

"From the sky!" Wendy warned towards the ground. Charle speedily flew around, dodging attacks.

The team paused to look up. Winged monsters of a large variety had joined the party.

* * *

"What are you doing for the carnival?" Warren asked, sitting down at a wooden table.

"I'm in charge of the souvenir stand." Max replied with a shrug. "You?"

"You should have people pay for you to read their minds." Romeo joked.

"That's going to go well. Telepathy magic doesn't work like that." Warren chuckled sarcastically. "And what are you doing?"

"I don't know yet." Romeo replied with a shrug. "Dad and Uncle Wakaba want to do a photo booth for hot girls only. I'm not so sure I want to do it with them."

"Typical." Max laughed, patting the little Purple Flare wizard on the head. "You'll figure it out. Why don't you pair up with someone or even a few people and come up with an idea?"

Romeo hummed, looking around the guild. He noticed a woman a few tables away with an array of sharp objects on her table.

"What's Laki-nee doing?" Romeo questioned.

"I think she wants to have people come and _try_ her medieval torture devices." Warren said with a nervous laugh.

"Maybe I'll just set up a goldfish catching booth." Romeo muttered. They needed _something_ normal at this carnival.

"You never told us what you were doing, Warren." Max said, turning away from the purple haired Wood Make mage.

"I was making up this quiz," Warren started to explain, taking a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. "I was hoping Levy or Lucy were here to help me word it."

"What is it?" Romeo asked, leaning on the table to get a better look.

"I have two quizzes, actually." Warren informed. "One is: What magic seal design best suits your inner magician? The second one is: What magic seal color best suits your personality?"

"It sounds like something you get out of magazines." Max said dryly.

"That's the point." The Telepathy magic wizard replied. "It's just a fun little game. I'll even match the answers up with our members."

"If you think that's going to attract attention." Romeo said with a shrug. Who was he to judge?

* * *

Erza groaned in effort as she fended off claws with the swords in her hands. Lucy stood a few feet away, blocking any oncoming creatures so the Re-quip wizard could focus on her current enemy. Erza pushed the larger than normal leopard off of her weapons, kicking powerfully at its abdomen.

Lucy suddenly screamed. Erza whipped around, seeing the blonde get swatted away by a large monster.

"Lucy!" The Re-quip mage yelled in surprise. Her momentary lapse of focus allowed a monster bird the opening it was waiting for. The bird flew down, rotating its body quickly. The sharp beak the monster had sliced at Erza's arm, creating a deep wound. The monster drilled into the ground, coming out a few feel away and flying back into the air.

"Ah!" Lucy yelled, grunting as her body impacted with another's.

Natsu flew backwards, as well. He held on tightly to the blonde, taking the brunt of the tumble back onto the earth. They stopped skidding. The Fire Dragon Slayer let out a brief sigh of relief, wrapping his arms tighter around her back. A flash of light appeared in his vision. He rolled them over, protecting Lucy's body with his.

The Celestial wizard looked up curiously at him. She saw the beam attack from the huge monster come towards them. Lucy extended her arms up and overlapped her hands above Natsu's back. Swords made of black colored magic piled on top of each other, creating a temporary shield. She gritted her teeth as the attack battered against her magic.

The pink haired man looked up from his girlfriend's face. A bear with glowing red eyes was stampeding towards them.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu yelled.

"You guys all right?" Happy asked, flying towards the duo once the immediate danger was cleared. The fighting was rough. Even the little Exceed had a few bumps and bruises.

"Yeah." Natsu said, getting off of Lucy and giving her a hand up. "You good? Do you need a break?"

"I'm okay." The Celestial wizard reassured. Hiding her shame, she strode right back into battle. She had miss stepped. Teamwork wasn't a natural occurrence nor built easily. She refused to make the same mistake, or her team will suffer for it, once more. They couldn't afford another accident; at least, not in this environment. Lucy vowed to get back in sync with her team members.

They had waited for her. She'd push herself to the limit to make them proud.

* * *

"Solid Script: Ice!" Levy yelled. The solid word was thin, laying itself in front of the entrance of a jewelry store. It made two men slip and let go of their bags. Jewels of all shapes and sizes scattered onto the ground.

Jet ran at lightning speed, wrapping the two burglars in rope and tying it off. Plants grew out of the ground around the precious stones, picking up every piece.

"Impressive, like usual, Levy." Jet admired, holding onto the end of the rope.

"Thanks. You guys, too." The Solid Script mage replied, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "Well, that takes care of that."

"Let's take them to the police and get some lunch." Droy suggested, using his plant magic to pick up the sacks full of jewels.

Team Shadow Gear returned the stolen goods to the owner of the jewelry store. They also received their promised reward from the owner. Jet ran into the city with the caught burglars, dropping them off at the police station. The team regrouped at a local restaurant.

"Should I do a game show theme for the carnival?" Levy wondered, piercing lettuce from her salad with a fork.

"Anything you do will be incredible." Jet said nonchalantly, biting into a chicken sandwich. "Are you going against the customers or are they going to go against each other?"

"I was thinking each other." The Solid Script mage informed. "I would give them the questions."

"Will there be prizes?" Droy asked.

"I'll have to talk to Master about it." Levy said. "What are you guys doing?"

"We were hoping to just help you with what you were doing." Droy admitted with a cheerful grin.

Levy shook her head playfully. She tilted her head down, not able to hold in her smile. These boys. She sure was lucky to have such devoted teammates.

* * *

Natsu and Gray yelled in surprise as they were caught in some kind of chain. The two boys were pulled together before being flung to the side.

Lucy cried out, as well, the chain catching her in the side and sent her careening with the boys.

Erza quickly finished her battle with a Vulcan, pivoting on her heels to turn her body around. She re-quipped into Flight armor, once more, holding two swords at the ready. The red haired woman ran forward swiftly, cutting through the chain holding her teammates hostage.

The three wizards caught in the magic chain flew towards the ground, skidding on their feet to stop sliding. Lucy couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as her body lost momentum. The Celestial mage stopped dangerously close to the edge of a cliff. It was a far drop into the valley below.

"Are you guys okay?" Happy asked, flying to the Fire Dragon Slayer.

Just as Natsu was about to answer, a gasp interrupted his thoughts. He turned around, watching the rocky earth by Lucy and Gray crumble.

"No." Gray grunted under his breath, reaching out and grabbing the blonde's wrist in an attempt to pull her back to a sturdier portion. The sudden shift in weight was too much for the weak and battered cliff to handle. Chunks of earth chipped off, falling alongside the mages.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled, turning his back to the battle.

Erza stepped in quickly, holding her sword in between large claws and Natsu's exposed back. Taurus used his body as a quick shield when Wendy was lightly dropped to the ground.

"We'll get them!" Charle announced, quickly flying into the fray with Happy by her side. The Exceeds were halted as monster birds surrounded them, most looking like they came from a group of Pteranodons.

"Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!" Wendy yelled. Whirlwinds of Sky magic encircled the birds, temporarily creating open space. The unconscious birds started to fall into the valley, however, more birds took their place.

"Lucy! Gray!" Natsu yelled worriedly, hunching his body close to the edge of the cliff.

"Focus, Natsu!" Erza scolded, pushing off her current target and landing a swift kick.

The Fire Dragon Slayer ground his teeth together.

"Moo!" Taurus yelled in pain. Wendy screamed at the same time. The others looked over in time to see the Celestial Spirit disappear back into the Celestial Realm.

"It's back up!" The Sky Dragon Slayer warned, watching the extra large creature they had knocked unconscious earlier prepare another attack.

Natsu couldn't take his eyes off of the flurry of activity going on down in the valley. More and more creatures capable of flying were diving through the air at high speeds.

"They're together." Erza hissed, holding off another overgrown animal trying to sink its teeth into Natsu. She shifted her eyes briefly to the worried man. "Believe in them."

The Fire Dragon Slayer took a deep breath, allowing her words to calm him.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

* * *

"I say we hold one of those quick beauty contests." Evergreen suggested to her teammates sitting around the table. "You know, like the ones where anyone can just get up on stage and do some sort of talent. We can decide the winner by how loud the crowd cheers."

"Fine with me." Bickslow said with a shrug as he stuck his tongue out. "Let's do it by a water attraction so babes can be in bikinis."

"We'll do one every half an hour, alternating being men and women." Freed declared. "What do you think about this, Laxus?"

"Weirdest carnival I have ever had the displeasure of being a part of." The Lightning Dragon Slayer commented lowly, taking a sip of his beer. Not as good as Fairy Tail's specialty alcohol, but it'd have to do until they got home from their job.

"And what of prizes?" Freed questioned, taking Laxus' comment as approval.

"We'll just give them a plastic crown or something." Evergreen said with a shrug. "They'd get gloating rights, after all."

* * *

The two wizards twisted and tumbled through the air.

Gray tightened his hold on Lucy's wrist, extending his other hand out towards the cliff face. The blonde rotated her hand, grabbing her teammate's wrist, as well. The air rushed passed them. Lucy summoned a black Celestial Key to her free hand, holding it out.

"Ice Make: Grappling Hook!" Gray yelled. The palm of his hand lit up with a light blue magic circle. A chain made of ice shot out, a grappling hook attaching itself to the rocky side of the valley wall. Chunks of rocks and dirt fell off as the hook scraped against it, struggling to hang onto the surface.

"Open, Gate of the Winged Horse, Pegasus!" Lucy summoned. A black magic circle appeared a few yards diagonally below them. A white creature soared towards the two. The Celestial mage huffed as she landed on her stomach on top of the creature. One of her arms was still extended, holding onto Gray.

The ice grappling hook skidded to a stop. Little pebbles bounced along the ice chain before falling further into the valley. Gray, who was suspended between Lucy and the cliff face by his grappling hook, let out a sigh of relief.

"That was close." The Ice Make mage said breathlessly, looking down towards the solid earth. It was only a few seconds away with the speed of their free fall; however there was well over a hundred yards left.

"Yeah." Lucy breathed. "Thanks a ton, Pegasus."

The Celestial Spirit of the Winged Horse nodded, neighing softly in the process. The Celestial Spirit was a muscular white horse with large, white-feathered wings. Pegasus' dark purple eyes stared intently at the other flying beasts circling them.

"Can Gray get on, Pegasus?" Lucy asked softly, interrupting the Celestial Spirit's observations. The blonde lifted herself up to sit sidesaddle while still holding onto her comrade's wrist. Without a word, Pegasus flew closer to the cliff face, allowing the new male to climb onto its back.

"Thanks." Gray said gratefully, scooting on behind the blonde.

Pegasus neighed, lifting its head up and creating a ball of electricity in front of its open mouth. The electric currents shot out, shooting down the flying creatures that were diving at them.

"Follow the valley." Lucy commanded, gripping onto Pegasus' mane. With powerful flaps of its wings, the Celestial Spirit was off. "You're going to want to hang on, Gray."

The Ice Make mage carefully wound his arms around her waist. The speed they were going at was incredible! Pegasus carefully maneuvered around monsters, kicking away some of the closer ones. Swords made of black colored magic created a circle around them, spinning quickly to fight off the more daring monsters. Gray held his hand out behind him, shooting out ice lances.

"Ah! Hey!" The Ice Make wizard gasped, putting his arm back around Lucy's waist, holding on tightly. Pegasus twisted midair, turning upside down and doing loop-de-loops to avoid oncoming attacks.

"I told you to hang on." Lucy chastised lightly, sending a small smile over her shoulder. "Pegasus is a bit of a speed demon."

The monsters that looked like prehistoric dinosaurs shot out beams of magic towards them, coloring the sky in orange light.

His teammate wasn't kidding about the speed. Gray felt all of the horse's muscles working underneath him. The powerful, yet majestic, wings easily pushed through the air. And, although they were midair, Pegasus ran like it was on solid ground. Gray could imagine the horse making air solid and stepping on it so they could travel faster.

"Lucy, ahead." Gray informed, leaning in close to her and nodding towards the top of the cliff. Their bodies jolted as Pegasus swiftly dodged the magic beams; Lucy's swords deflecting the ones that the Celestial Spirit couldn't avoid.

"Hear that?" The blonde asked to her Spirit. The white horse nodded, galloping faster.

"Now!" The Ice Make mage signaled, holding out his hand and sending an Ice Saucer high into the air. Lucy turned to the other cliff face, summoning more swords to attack at the rock. Boulders loosened from their bindings, falling down on both sides of the narrowing valley. The rocks landed on some of the creatures, creating a temporary wall.

Gray looked over his shoulder. The mutant birds were just flying above the rocky wall. The monsters weren't pursuing them any longer.

"I guess that means they chased us out." Lucy said, pulling lightly on Pegasus' mane to come to a stop.

"We did get pretty far from the others." He replied, unlatching his arm from her waist. "We should find another way back."

Just as Lucy nodded, Pegasus twitched under them uncomfortably. The horse neighed and nickered incessantly, turning towards the western cliff face.

"Do you sense something, Pegasus?" Lucy asked cautiously.

"It is weird." Gray interrupted. "They chased us out of their territory, but isn't this place supposed to be part of their territory, too?"

"There were an awful lot of them congregated together." She whispered. Lucy allowed Pegasus to go where it wanted to. The group slowly flew towards an indentation in the western wall. "A cave?"

"Stay here." Gray directed, hopping off of the Celestial Spirit.

"You shouldn't go alone." Lucy argued, getting off as well. The entrance into the cave was much too small for the Celestial Spirit to get inside. "Pegasus, stay alert." The horse nodded in understanding.

The Fairy Tail wizards ventured inside with caution.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry I haven't answered reviews in a while. Fanfiction decided that "Hey! You got a review, so we'll send you an email. But don't try to reply to it, because it doesn't actually exist and we cannot find it on the website." So, that happened for a while, and then the problem recently got fixed with all of the reviews in tact and in existence. Yay~


	37. Cave of Guilds

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Cave of Guilds

* * *

"Natsu!" Happy screamed, flying down from the sky. "The monster is charging up another super magical beam blast… explosion!"

"A what?" Natsu questioned, grabbing onto a Vulcan's face and slamming it into the ground.

"That!" The blue Exceed yelled, facing the huge monster that started this whole mess.

"Ile Armor!" Wendy chanted with her arms parallel to the ground in front of her. A light blue magic circle appeared on the palms of her hands and under Erza. The Re-quip mage stood in her Adamantine Armor, ready for the attack.

"Go Natsu, Wendy!" Erza commanded, putting her shield together. The attack rushed forward.

"Ill Arms!" The Sky Dragon Slayer chanted next. "Ile Vernier!" Magic circles appeared under herself, Natsu, and the Exceeds.

"Let's go, Happy." Natsu said.

"Aye sir!" The blue Exceed exclaimed, picking up Natsu and hovering above the ground.

The magic beam hit Erza's shield.

"Ready?" Charle asked, picking up Wendy. The blue haired girl nodded.

The Dragon Slayer pair rushed ahead, aiming for a direct attack that could knock out the monster for a long while.

"Fire Dragon's…" Natsu said while inhaling.

"Sky Dragon's…" Wendy repeated.

"Roar!"

* * *

The Fairy Tail wizards ventured inside with caution.

The interior of the cave was much larger than what the entrance portrayed. It was easily one hundred yards wide, filled with odd cylinder tubes that extended from the floor to the ceiling.

"Raicho Wing." The Ice Make mage read a plaque attached to one of the cylinder tubes.

"Quatro Cerberus." Lucy read one a few tubes away. "Blue Pegasus."

"Valkyrie Soul, Twilight Ogre, Dragon Fang, Harpies Feather, Lamia Scale." He listed off. "These are all wizard guilds. More specifically, ones that participated in the Grand Magic Games."

"Not these." Lucy informed from the other side of the cave. "Wizard guilds, but most of them were knocked out during the preliminaries or didn't even participate in the Games."

"No dark guilds, though." Gray noted. The interior was quiet as the two of them studied the odd tubes. Liquid filled the containers. "Lucy?" He called out when he couldn't hear her shuffling about any longer.

"Fairy Tail." Lucy said softly to herself, staring at a tube that was in the deepest and most concealed part of the cave. "G-Gray!"

"Where are you?" The Ice Make mage asked, looking around one row of tubes to another. He sensed the trepidation in her voice, pushing his movements faster.

"Furthest back. You have to look at ours."

"I figured we would have one. Whoa." Gray said in awe, standing behind the blonde.

"Yeah." Lucy replied uneasily, taking a step back. "W-We should tell the others. I felt Taurus' gate close a little while ago."

* * *

"That's the last of them." Erza said, dropping an unconscious monster wolf onto the ground.

"Good." Wendy sighed in relief, sitting down on a small boulder.

"What should we do with them now? Once they wake up, they'll just attack again." Charle asked.

"We should relocate them to another area. At least, some of them." The Re-quip mage replied.

Natsu stared into the valley and off into the distance. Where were they? Was Lucy okay?

"Should we look for them?" Happy suggested, flying by the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Ye-"

"Guys!" A feminine voice yelled suddenly, echoing in the valley.

"Lucy!" Erza called. "Over here!"

Natsu let out a sigh of relief.

A white speck in the distance became larger as it got closer.

"What's that?" Charle questioned, going closer to the edge of the cliff with Wendy.

"A Celestial Spirit?" Wendy said unsurely.

"Erza," Gray said as he and Lucy floated just next to the cliff. "We need an S-Class opinion on… something. It's a bit urgent."

"Something?" The Re-quip wizard asked.

"It's giving off a nasty feeling energy. We think that's why the animals are all moving here." Lucy answered. Pegasus floated just above the solid earth, allowing Gray to hop off.

"All right. Take me there." Erza said, getting onto the horse's back and putting her arms around Lucy. "Gray, put cages around these animals. We'll have to relocate them."

"Okay." The Ice Make mage agreed easily.

"Lucy," Natsu called out just before the girls left.

The Celestial mage smiled at him reassuringly, "I'll be right back." With that, the two women were heading back into the valley.

"I know you're worried, matchstick, but they'll be fine." Gray grunted, putting his hands in front of him and creating an ice cage.

"Yeah, yeah, but why do I have to be stuck with you?" The Fire Dragon Slayer replied with a roll of his eyes.

Happy, Charle, and Wendy sighed. The second Erza was gone; things always turned out like this.

"Let's hurry and finish this before they all wake up." The Sky Dragon Slayer advised kindly, struggling to lift up a mutant, carnivorous rabbit.

"Be careful with that." Charle scolded, keeping a close eye on the sharp teeth as she held onto a part of the fur.

"What'd you guys find, anyways?" Natsu asked, throwing a Vulcan over the cage bars.

"Something weird, for sure." The Ice Make mage said with shiver.

"Weirder than Lucy?" Happy asked, closing the lid to the cage once it was full.

"Lucy-san isn't that weird, Happy." Wendy added.

Natsu held his tongue. The blonde was his girlfriend, now. Nonetheless, she wasn't here… "Nothing is weirder than Lucy."

"You're so dead when you see her again." Gray replied dryly.

"What did you find?" Charle asked, diverting the conversation back to the important topic.

"A cave full of… tubes with a green liquid bubbling inside." The Ice Make wizard answered. "All of them had a name of a wizard's guild on it."

"Is there one with our guild?" Wendy asked cautiously.

"Ours is… Unique." Gray shivered.

"Unique?" Natsu repeated.

"Was the watery stuff different?" The blue Exceed inquired.

"Not only that," Gray trailed off, staring into the valley. "Ours was the only one with something inside."

* * *

"Amazing." Juvia whispered in awe. She looked around the streets of Magnolia. They were filled with new decorations, new stands for food and souvenirs – though those were empty at the moment. The Water mage had only been gone for a couple of days on a solo mission. The Mayor of Magnolia sure worked fast.

She walked towards the girls' dormitory, Fairy Hills. Her travel bag hung around her shoulder, bumping against her hip as she walked. Workers constructed a platform in the middle of the park to set up a Ferris wheel. The attraction was going to be made and set up by using magic. Magic made things easier, she supposed.

Juvia sighed to herself. She wondered how Gray-sama was doing. He had declined her offer of going on the mission. However, she understood. Love rival – Lucy-san – was finally home. Juvia supposed she shouldn't call Lucy-san a love rival, any longer. Lucy-san had Natsu-san, now. Perhaps she should ask the blonde how to get Gray…

Before she knew it, Juvia was walking up the steps inside Fairy Hills. The Water wizard unlocked her room, putting her bag on the ground beside the bed. She exhaled a breath of exhaustion, laying down and hugging a Gray plushy to her chest.

Gray-sama…

She trusted in his abilities as a mage. He didn't need her worrying about him when he's out on a mission. Besides, he had his teammates with him. Juvia rolled to her side, making eye contact with a larger Gray plush doll.

She worried anyways.

* * *

Erza and her team walked silently towards the train station. They had moved the animals and monsters to different locations and collected their reward from the lodge owner. Lucy and Erza did all they could to the cave, though it wasn't much. Without knowing the magic inside of the tubes, they didn't risk destroying them. Once they returned home, the team would alert Master.

Natsu fell to the back of the group, stopping Lucy from advancing forward with a hand to her wrist. The Celestial mage looked at him in confusion as he laced their fingers together. He brought their conjoined hands to his lips, laying a light kiss to the back of her hand. Though she blushed prettily, Lucy bumped her shoulder with his.

She was glad he was all right, too.

"Are we going home straight away?" Wendy asked, holding Charle in her arms.

"That would be best." Erza answered regretfully. "We have to tell Master what we found."

"What do you think it is?" Gray questioned. "It grated against my magic in a bad way."

"It was like the tubes were pulling my magic out of me." Lucy added.

"That's probably what it's for." The Re-quip mage said in frustration. "Taking magic out of wizards."

Natsu and Wendy shuddered at the thought. They had their magic drained in Edolas.

"One for each guild, though?" Happy asked, flying onto Natsu's shoulder to feel more secure.

"We'll just have to hear what Master thinks about it." Charle said solemnly.

* * *

… One Hour Later…

* * *

"I see." Master Makarov said slowly.

Erza's team stood in Makarov's office. The seven team members crowded into the small office, nervously shifting their eyes to each other.

"What would you like us to do with it?" The Re-quip mage asked.

"Any idea who's hand it was in that container? Were there any markings?" Master questioned instead.

"Most likely a male's hand, but I'm not sure who." Lucy replied softly. "I-I didn't see any markings."

Natsu looked over, putting his hand on her back for comfort. He noticed before that what the blonde saw shook her up a bit.

Makarov nodded as he said, "I'm glad you came back unharmed. I'll contact other guild Masters and see what we can do. Don't worry too much about it."

"Are you certain, Master?" Erza asked softly. With a firm nod from the Titan wizard, the group relaxed. They trusted their Master. He knew what he was doing.

"Rest up. We have a carnival to prepare for." Makarov chuckled, shooing the group out of the office.

"Man, I'm hungry." Natsu complained the second they were out the door.

"I hope Mira has some fish in the kitchen." Happy exclaimed, flying down to the first floor.

"I don't think Mira-san is here." Wendy called out gently, but the blue Exceed didn't hear her.

"Poor Kinana is working all by herself, today." Lucy commented, watching the purple haired woman flit around the guild happily.

"I hate to agree with Natsu, but I could eat a whole buffet by myself right now." Gray sighed.

The group made their way to a table on the first floor, sitting themselves on the benches. Happy had already begged Kinana into giving him a large fish and flew to sit on the tabletop.

"Welcome back. How was the mission?" The purple haired bar maid asked as she came over.

"It went well." Erza replied.

"Can I get anything for you guys?" Kinana questioned next.

"The usual for me." Lucy piped up.

"Just make it the usual for all of us." Natsu groaned, putting his head on the table and holding his growling stomach.

"Right away." Kinana giggled, walking off to prepare the orders.

"You're not dying, flame head." Gray scoffed.

"How would you know?" The Fire Dragon Slayer retorted.

"Are we serious?" Charle said dryly. "Fighting already?"

"It's nice to unwind after a hard mission." Wendy added cheerfully.

* * *

Juvia walked towards the guild with a smile on her face. She hoped Gray-sama was back from his mission. She had bought a new hat and was eager to show it off to him. Though it was a bit early for his team to be back. She hoped that Gray begged the team to leave early so he could come see her.

The team would finish their mission and, right after, Gray would get on his knees, pleading with his hands together to leave early. He would say he wanted to come home to Juvia. And Lucy would reply, saying how romantic it was and how she wished she had a relationship so full of love. Of course, Erza would agree to leave early, seeing how the girl was quite the romantic herself.

Natsu would say something along the lines of being about time Gray swore his love for Juvia. Wendy and the Exceeds would cheer the Ice Make mage on as he ran from the Magnolia train station to the guildhall. Gray would scoop Juvia into his arms and embrace her, telling her how much he loved her and that he wanted to marry her.

Juvia sighed blissfully. The Water wizard didn't realize she was a step away from the guild's fence. She ran right into the stone doorway, knocking her out of her daydream. She groaned softly, putting a hand to her throbbing forehead. The doors for the guild were open to let in the summer breeze. She hoped no one saw that.

"Lucy! Let's go out for dessert." Natsu suggested, leaning his chin on top of the table in boredom. The table was piled high with empty dishes.

"You ate that much and you still want dessert?" Lucy asked.

Juvia perked up as she heard the familiar voices. Gray-sama was back, safe. She let out a sigh of relief, staring at the table from afar.

"Lucy," Natsu whined. "We'll even go to that gross frozen yogurt place you like. Let's just get more food."

"Just us?" Lucy asked.

"That's matchstick's way of asking you on a date." Gray chuckled, patting the blonde on her head. "You are a couple now." The Celestial mage blushed, playfully pushing his hand away.

"Aye! Bring me back something fish flavored!" Happy exclaimed cheerfully.

"Lucy," The Fire Dragon Slayer continued to whine.

"I'm seriously full, Natsu." Lucy complained, standing up. "But I'll go with you."

"Finally." Natsu said happily, popping out of his seat.

"Oh," Lucy gasped as she looked up. The group looked where she was staring, realizing someone was watching them with a sweet smile. "Give me a second, Natsu. I want to talk to Juvia about something."

"Why is she staring at us?" Wendy asked with a nervous laugh.

"She's not staring at _us._ " Erza commented with a knowing smile, turning back to the piece of cake in front of her.

"When you go over there, please tell her to stop." The Ice Make mage said dryly.

"Lucy, my stomach is going to eat itself." Natsu moaned again.

"No it's not." The Celestial mage laughed, standing up. "You just ate. I promise this will only take a minute."

Natsu reluctantly followed Lucy to Juvia's hiding spot, leaving the other team members snickering.

"She already has him wrapped around her finger." Gray chuckled, keeping his voice low.

"Hey, Juvia. What are you doing over here?" Lucy questioned.

"Oh, nothing, Lucy-san." Juvia replied with a blush.

"You can get up close and personal, you know." Natsu snorted. "I'm sure Gray would love that." Lucy lightly slapped him on the arm.

"Before you do that, do you have something planned for the carnival yet?" The Celestial mage asked eagerly.

"Juvia was hoping to do something with Gray-sama." The Water wizard replied.

"Do you want to do something with me, instead?" Lucy asked hopefully. "I got Aquarius to agree to an underwater event. Please, Juvia? You guys are good friends, aren't you?"

"How'd you manage that?" Natsu asked with a raised eyebrow. The girls ignored him.

"But Gray-sama…" Juvia trailed off.

"He's doing ice skating." Lucy informed. "It'll be fun! We can do some diving, and you can use that air bubble spell. Maybe we can even get Master to get some exotic fish for us. What do you say?"

"Lucy-san isn't doing something with Natsu-san?" Juvia questioned.

"He's setting things on fire with Romeo." Lucy said, playfully rolling her eyes. The Fire Dragon Slayer grinned innocently.

"A fire-show, actually." Natsu corrected.

"So…?" Lucy trailed off hopefully. The Water wizard turned longing eyes towards the Ice Make mage. The Celestial mage leaned in next to Juvia's ear, whispering something.

Natsu looked on in confusion. The blue haired woman's face turned red before she leaned away from Lucy and nodded her head furiously.

"Juvia will work with Lucy-san at the carnival." The Water wizard said eagerly.

"Great." Lucy giggled. "Why don't you go sit in our spots at the table?"

Juvia enthusiastically fast walked to the open spot at the table where the team had congregated for a late lunch. The Fire Dragon Slayer raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend.

"What did you say to her?"

"Something about Gray winning her a prize at the carnival." Lucy replied, taking Natsu's hand in hers and heading towards the doorway.

"That's it?" He scoffed.

"Maybe also getting him to do the kissing booth."

* * *

"Mira-nee sure is popular." Lisanna said in awe as she and her brother watched fans swarm the eldest Take-Over sibling from afar. "Even after the eight year hiatus from modeling."

"Nee-chan is pretty." Elfman commented proudly.

"Think she'll be nominated for Miss Fiore?" Lisanna asked with a giggle.

Mirajane expertly handled the crowd around her. Once someone had spotted _the_ Mirajane Strauss coming out of the Sorcerer's Weekly building, all hell broke loose. Lisanna wondered how they'd react to the magazine coming out at the end of the week.

"She's manly enough."

The Take-Over: Animal Soul wizard nodded. Mira kindly shooed away her admirers, saying that she was on a family vacation. Being long time fans of the model, the enthusiasts didn't push for anything else. Lest they want to see Mirajane use her magic.

"Sorry that took so long." Mira apologized, walking up to her siblings. "Let's go have fun."

"I hear there's a manly petting zoo in town. It's near the center of the town square." Elfman exclaimed, looking at his younger sister. Lisanna's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Can we go there, Mira-nee?" The Take-Over: Animal Soul mage asked excitedly.

"Of course." Mira laughed, leading them to the center of the city. "How many times in a year do we get to come to Crocus?"

"Not enough. Let's go!" Lisanna said excitedly, skipping ahead of her siblings.

None of the Take-Over siblings noticed the familiar face in the dispersing crowd, staring at them indifferently.

* * *

Lucy nibbled on her spoon timidly as she and Natsu sat on the ledge of the fountain in Magnolia's park. Was it normal to be this nervous? It wasn't as though they hadn't been alone before. Were all relationships so tense at the beginning? The Celestial mage took the spoon out of her mouth before she bit the plastic in half. Natsu had bought her frozen yogurt, like he said he would. He didn't even like frozen yogurt!

Lucy felt her mind go into overdrive. Her _boyfriend_ didn't seem like he felt the nervous tension in the air. She liked Natsu… A lot. She had for a long time. However, now that she let the feelings run free instead of suppressing them…she didn't know what to do. Lucy held in a sigh. She wished she knew more about real life romance rather than the stereotypical romance in books.

Was it okay to hold his hand in public? They weren't sitting too close, right now. Would he mind the contact? They've done it, before. Do things change now that they weren't in a platonic relationship? Of course things changed, but still… What if he expected her to make the first move?! Or maybe _he_ wanted to make all of the moves? He kissed her hand when they finished the mission, earlier. Behind everyone's backs. Maybe he just wasn't into public displays of affection.

She had never been this nervous around Natsu before. Lucy hoped that this 'first' date didn't disappoint him.

Natsu shifted his eyes to look at the girl beside him. Was she enjoying herself? Surely, she had some kind of standard for these 'dates,' he just needed to figure out what. She wasn't talking. Did he fail already?! The Fire Dragon Slayer took a huge bite of his frozen yogurt. She was biting her spoon, again. Did she not like it? He thought she loved that nasty yogurt shit! Did he need to get her something else?

 _Girlfriend_ was such a foreign word to him. What did he need to do to get this girl's approval? Maybe she wanted to set something on fire. That was fun, right? He thought of all the times Lucy scolded him on a mission for setting something on fire. Maybe not. Did she want to go on a dangerous mission?

Natsu internally growled. Lucy Heartfilia. The daughter of a high-class businessman turned Fairy Tail wizard. Her favorite color was pink, she loved yogurt and strawberries, she didn't dress very warm in the wintertime, she loved her Celestial Spirits, and she didn't allow anyone but Levy to read her in-progress novel. He knew everything about the woman! They've been through a lot together, but why didn't he know what her perfect date was?!

Maybe he'd just take her to a bookstore.

"Natsu,"

"Lucy,"

The two of them spoke simultaneously. The couple each let out a breathy chuckle.

"You first," They said together, once again. Instead of speaking, Natsu shook his head, nodding towards the blonde.

"Um," Lucy trailed off with a slight blush. "I was wondering if you wanted to go do something?"

"Like what?" Natsu asked, finishing off the rest of his frozen yogurt in one mouthful.

"I don't know. What do you want to do?" She asked, tilting her head.

The Fire Dragon Slayer looked over. That was an adorable pose. He took a deep breath before responding, "Do you want to go to a bookstore? Or maybe the library?"

Lucy turned her head quickly, giving him a hard stare.

"You? A bookstore?" She questioned. "Who are you?"

"Very funny," He replied dryly. "I just thought you'd enjoy it."

The Celestial mage felt her face heat up even more.

"You've… Been doing a lot of things for me, lately."

"Is that bad?"

"No," Lucy trailed off. "But I want to do things for you, too."

"You do a lot for me already." Natsu said with a grin as he turned to her.

"Like what?"

"Being here."

"D-Don't say such weird things." Lucy protested, her face as red as a cherry tomato. When had Natsu turned into a romantic? "Let's go fishing or something."

"Without Happy?" He scoffed. "We'd get an earful later."

"Then, what do you want to do?"

"Just be here with you." Natsu answered automatically. Whatever she wished to do, he was fine with. He just wanted to be near her and make sure she didn't disappear again.

Lucy felt like she will never get her face to be a normal shade, ever again.

"Do you want to fight?" She asked.

* * *

…

* * *

"Take that, Lucy!" Natsu laughed manically.

The Celestial mage exhaled loudly, pushing stray locks of hair out of her vision. The two of them were in a lacrima-laser tag arena, and Natsu was having the time of his life beating his partner. Though she got a few good shots off on him, she was sure he had shot her three times as much. The rules were simple, hit everyone with a beam of light and the hit target will register in the lacrima-laser gun. Who ever had the highest score, wins.

Lucy dodged to the side, crouching behind a plastic wall. She stayed behind cover as she aimed at her pink haired target.

* * *

…

* * *

"How'd I win that?" Lucy asked, shocked. She and Natsu looked at the lacrima-tron outside of the arena. Only the two of them were in there, so there wasn't much competition.

The Fire Dragon Slayer smiled cheekily, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"You got a few lucky shots in at the end." He replied with a chuckle. "Are you getting lessons from Alzack and Bisca?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow. She had been losing severely at the beginning, and then, suddenly, she started getting shot after shot on Natsu. There was no way she was _that_ good at shooting, even if it only was a lacrima-laser. It was like he allowed her to hit him when the time started winding down… Oh.

She looked around briefly before turning to him. Lucy lifted herself onto her toes and kissed his cheek chastely.

Natsu felt his cheeks heat up slightly. He scratched his other cheek with a finger in nervousness.

"Let's go get dinner." The blonde suggested, walking out from under his arm. Instead, she grabbed the hand that fell from her shoulder and tugged him outside. The sun had already set most of the way, leaving the sky to darken. "Where do you want to eat?"

"How about that place?" He asked, pointing ahead of them.

"You want to eat northern cuisine?" Lucy questioned.

"It's pretty good."

"Maybe you and Gray are more alike than you realize." She giggled.

"What does Gray have anything to do with it?!" He yelled.

"How long have you been friends, now?" Lucy asked, looking at him oddly. "Gray's from the north and has an affinity towards food from there. Wasn't he the one to suggest this restaurant to us, in the first place?"

"He was?"

"Have you ever thought about getting your memory checked out?"

The couple decided to take the food back to Lucy's place so they could relax after a long day. The Celestial mage laid out the food on the table and sat down with a tired sigh. Natsu went into the kitchen to get a lighter from the drawer before sitting down beside her.

"Tired?" Natsu asked, opening up the containers and placing one directly in front of his girlfriend so she didn't exert any more energy.

"That mission this morning really took a lot of energy." Lucy exhaled, giving him a smile in thanks. She took out the disposable utensils from the take-out bag and stirred her noodle dish a bit.

"It was nothing." He scoffed, flickering the lighter on and placing it near his food. "But falling off of a cliff would've taken a bit out of you."

"Just a bit…"

"Be careful, next time, will you?" Natsu let out an airy chuckle, his breath tickling the flames that had engulfed his food.

"No promises." Lucy giggled back. "You know us Celestial wizards."

"Stubborn."

The blonde sent him a sharp glare. The Fire Dragon Slayer shrugged innocently, shoving forkfuls of his meal into his mouth. The fire flickered against his skin before being consumed.

"How are you eating so much?" The Celestial mage asked. "This is our fourth meal, today. Breakfast, two lunches, and now dinner." She paused. "You know what, never mind."

"Only a weird person asks a question and answers it themselves." Natsu retorted with a grin. Lucy sighed, stabbing her fork into a noodle.

"And only weird people date other weird people."

"Oh, really?" He questioned, leaning in close to her. She nodded. "I accept your challenge."

"What challenge?"

"You're the only weird one here." Natsu said, shoving another bite of food into his mouth. "Hurry and eat so I can prove it."

Lucy couldn't help but question what she had gotten herself into.

The two of them finished their food in silence. Well, Lucy finished half of her meal and Natsu ate the rest of it. Being a 'good' boyfriend, and definitely not a weird one, Natsu offered to take their trash to the kitchen to dispose of it in the garbage bin. This left the Celestial mage to go into her bathroom to wash up and change into her nightwear. Upon coming out, she saw Natsu sitting on her bed and staring out of the window at the bright moon.

"Are you waiting for Happy?" Lucy asked.

"Nah, he's probably hanging out with Charle." Natsu snickered as he felt the bed shift. The Celestial mage sat down with a book in her hand.

"He's not waiting for you at home?"

"He knows where to find me." He replied, turning to her. Lucy sat against her headboard, opening the book in her hands to the page marked with a cute charm attached to a thin ribbon. Natsu shrugged, it was now or never. She looked pretty cute in a loose shirt and short-shorts, anyways.

The Fire Dragon Slayer stealthily moved up the bed, straddling his girlfriend's thighs. She looked up, surprised, especially when he took the book from her hands and dropped it to the floor.

"Wh-What are you doing?!" Lucy screeched, her face turning red once more.

"Am I weird now?"

"Y-Yes!"

Natsu rolled his eyes, putting his arms up and placing his hands on the headboard, effectively blocking her in. He leaned his head close to hers, lips mere millimeters apart.

"This is normal for guys to do to their girlfriends."

"Says wh-who?" She stuttered.

"The other guys at the guild."

"You're weird for listening to them." Lucy said, accidently brushing her lips against his. "Y-You know they're a bunch of perverts."

"Why can't I do this and be not weird?" Natsu asked, pressing his lips to hers briefly. Though Lucy couldn't see it well, his cheeks turned as red as hers.

"Because you're Natsu… You don't do things like this."

"Then you're the reason I'm weird now." The Fire Dragon Slayer said with conviction, pushing his body closer to hers. "I caught your weirdness."

"You can't catc-!"

Lucy's head tilted back slightly against the new pressure, hitting it against his hand that was now tangled in her hair. His lips moved against hers softly. The kiss was as electrifying as the first one. It was hot, like the fire Natsu wielded with expertise. And like his personality, the kiss was powerful. She felt herself expel a low moan in satisfaction, feeling her eyes flutter close.

Natsu gently tested his limits, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and using the other hand to play with her soft hair. She smelled of a fresh shower, her natural fragrance filtering into his nose. Heaven. The Fire Dragon Slayer pressed his lips harder onto her soft ones. Hoping not to scare her, Natsu asked for entrance into her orifice, gently licking her bottom lip. Her hands traveled up his chest to drape around his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. Lucy allowed entrance. She tasted of minty toothpaste mixed with her natural fruity taste – like a sweet and tangy dessert.

Was everything about this man hot? His tongue was undeniably warm as it lightly stroked hers. Was this what fire tasted like? A spicy tingle accompanied by something that screamed Natsu. Lucy felt like her body was enveloped in a blanket that protected her from all evils. His fingers were weaving through her hair; gently guiding her head to the angle he felt was best, similar to a warm message. Her hands locked into his pink mane, as well, combing through the light locks. Lucy felt a vibration run through her arms that were resting on his shoulders as he growled, bringing her body closer to his.

The moonlight filtered into the room through the window glass. Neither noticed as they solely focused on each other. Natsu pressed his chest against hers. They broke apart briefly, catching lost breaths. Without allowing much time, the Fire Dragon Slayer bent his head back down and reclaimed her lips. He nipped at her bottom lip, getting her to open up once more. This time, he encouraged her to explore his own, secret depths.


	38. Businesswoman, Lucy Heartfilia

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

 **Important Notice:**

This story got a bad review, the other day. It isn't the first, and most certainly – probably – won't be the last. If you don't like the story, you don't have to read it. However, it is perfectly acceptable to flame the story in a review. Go ahead and speak your mind about how trash the story is. I don't mind because that is a real review of the story.

What is NOT acceptable is attacking me and other readers on a personal level. It is out right rude to call us "crazy" and "heartless" (the actual words used in this particular review) or any other derogatory term because we enjoy this story. This reviewer has no right to attack anyone on such personal characteristics. It is doubtful that they even know a majority of the people reading well enough to make such assumptions. By saying things like this, doesn't make anyone better than anyone else. And honestly, what does it say about this person's own personality?

For any future reviews/flames, refrain from attacking _anyone_. Attack the story, not the people. Comments like this are not going to be taken seriously by me. In fact, it sounds more like a whining child who didn't get their way.

Let's leave the immature name calling to preschool children. It's not welcomed here, on my story, and I doubt it's welcomed in the fan fiction community as a whole.

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Businesswoman, Lucy Heartfilia

* * *

"Everyone!" Happy screamed, hurtling through the open guild doors. The afternoon sun made the fur on his body glow.

"What's wrong, Happy?" Mira asked from behind the bar.

"Oh, Mira, you're back." The Exceed noticed. "Anyways, has anyone seen Natsu?"

"He's missing?" Lisanna questioned.

"He didn't come home." Happy informed.

Catcalls and whistles erupted inside Fairy Tail's guildhall.

"He and Lucy went on a date, yesterday." Gray informed the confused Take-Over sisters from a nearby table.

"Natsu knows where to put it, after all!" Wakaba exclaimed.

"Innocent little Lucy finally got her cherry popped, huh?" Cana laughed, holding up a mug of Fairy Tail specialty wine.

Erza was blushing madly, keeping her eyes focused on the milkshake in front of her. Wendy put her head down on the table, trying to hide from the embarrassing remarks. Charle put her paws against the Sky Dragon Slayer's ears, valiantly attempting to block out the _detailed_ comments from corrupting Wendy's mind. Gray took a sip from his glass of beer, stopping himself from laughing.

This was going to be an interesting day.

* * *

"Morning, Lucy." Natsu said with a yawn as he walked by her desk, where she sat. He ruffled his girlfriend's hair. "I'm using your bathroom."

"First, it's afternoon. You slept for almost eleven hours." Lucy replied. "Second, why don't you just go home? You don't have any clothes here."

"I should probably check on Happy, too." The Fire Dragon Slayer added with another yawn. He stretched his arms above his head, stretching his abdominal muscles tautly. The blonde couldn't help but let her eyes linger on his naked torso. "What are you doing?"

"P-Polishing my keys." She stuttered, hoping he didn't catch her ogling him. On her desk were all of her contracted Celestial Keys.

"You can re-quip this many at once?"

"Erza can summon an army of swords, can't she?" Lucy laughed. "The keys are useless without magic, so they're treated as regular objects by Re-quip magic. Some armors and weapons take more magic to re-quip because they're powerful on their own. Besides, I have a Storage Type Re-quip, not a specialized one like Erza and Bisca. I can't hold hard hitting magic weapons, only things that are considered normal objects or things with little magic."

"I see." Natsu replied absently. One key in particular caught his attention.

The Celestial wizard hummed softly as she continued to polish the gateways to her friends. She noticed the man beside her reach for one, touching the cold metal.

"What are you doing?"

"This… This is the dragon, right? Drago?" He asked hesitantly.

"Draco." She corrected absently. "Yeah, what about him?"

Natsu fell silent for a moment.

"Does he know where Igneel and the others are?"

Lucy looked down, avoiding his eyes before replying, "I've asked him before." She trailed off. "I'm sorry, Natsu. Draco has nothing to do with the Earth Land dragons. At least, he hasn't for a long time now. The only link he has with them is that he can use any magic the dragons on Earth Land can use. Even the dead ones."

The Fire Dragon Slayer nodded, half expecting a similar answer. He retreated his hand from the key and placed it on Lucy's head, softly kissing her temple.

"Thanks for trying." Natsu said with his usual grin. "Let's go to my place so I can get some fresh clothes."

"Sure," She replied, getting up and sending all of her keys back to her magic inventory. "It's not a complete mess again, is it?"

* * *

…

* * *

"It's a complete mess again." The Celestial wizard sighed, trudging through the clutter.

"Huh, Happy isn't here." Natsu noticed, easily maneuvering through the mess. "Do whatever you want, I'm just going to change my clothes."

"You're not going to shower?" Lucy asked.

"People don't need to shower." He scoffed.

"You should shower." She said dryly, picking up a dirty shirt with a pinch of her fingers. "And then clean your house."

"Fine," Natsu drawled out with a whine. "But the house isn't messy. I know where everything is."

Lucy warily eyed the molding food on the table. She sighed, watching as the pink haired male pick up some clothes and go into his bathroom.

It was time to get to work. Again.

The Celestial mage started with the dishes. She gathered them up and brought them into the kitchen, only to find more pots and pans filled with leftover food. Things were just like last time.

When Natsu came out of the shower, he noticed that his place was tidied up and nearly sparkling. He blinked in confusion.

"You're welcome." Lucy called out.

The Fire Dragon Slayer continued to blink. He turned to see the woman lying on his hammock, exhausted.

"What changed?" He questioned, rubbing a towel against his hair. Natsu saw Lucy giving him a glare, causing him to chuckle. "You didn't have to, you know. Happy and I are fine."

"Jeez," She whispered, putting her arm over her eyes. "Ungrateful." The Celestial mage felt a warm pressure on her cheek.

"Thanks." Natsu whispered near her. Lucy peaked an eye at him. His hair was still a bit wet and he was shirtless. Water droplets littered his shoulders and trailed down his pectorals. His body was suddenly on fire, drying up all of the moisture.

"I'm hungry." She said swiftly, averting her wandering eye. The blonde was lucky her boyfriend was a bit oblivious.

"Let's go to the guild, then." He offered, putting on his usual one-sleeved shirt and his scarf. Natsu tossed his towel onto the back of his couch. Lucy rolled her eyes. She bet the place was going to be messy by the end of the week.

* * *

"You think they're going to spend the day in bed?" Cana snickered.

"It's late afternoon and they're not here yet." Macao guffawed.

"Dad." Romeo complained, hiding his red face in his hands.

"Oh dear." Mira commented with a soft giggle, casually wiping down the bar.

"The guild isn't getting anything done today." Gray scoffed with a smirk on his lips. He was going to have a field day the next time he saw Natsu.

"Gray-sama, we should follow their example." Juvia suggested with hearts in her eyes.

The Ice Make wizards smirk turned into nervous contortion.

Wendy sat stock still in her seat, her face permanently red for the day. She nervously wiggled in her seat, unsure if she should be listening to the remarks. Her sensitive ears heard footsteps falling against the stone pavement outside. The Sky Dragon Slayer turned to look through the open doors. Her face heated up even further as she saw the couple walking hand in hand.

Charle sighed, accepting that the young girl will be exposed to the guild's _rowdiness_.

"It's the man of the hour." Max announced, clapping his hands. The rest of the guild turned their attention to the entrance. Hollers and cheers raged through the guildhall.

Natsu and Lucy confusedly looked at each other. Max swung his arm around the Fire Dragon Slayer, leading the pink haired man to the table full of eager men awaiting the grimy details. Lucy shrugged, walking to the table that housed her team.

"Good afternoon." Lucy greeted, sitting down. Gray gave her a knowing look before getting up and joining the males at the other table. The Celestial mage returned his look with bewilderment. "What's going on, today?"

Erza tried to reply, but her words were jumbled and drawled out with a stutter. The blonde looked at the Re-quip mage's red face with concern.

"W-Well, Lucy-san," Wendy stammered.

"Is it true?" Juvia asked. She paid close attention to the blonde.

"Is what true?" Lucy asked. Before anyone could reply, Cana came over and swung her arm around the Celestial wizard's neck, her drink sloshing.

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy," The Card mage sang. "I'm so proud of you."

"What?" The blonde questioned.

"You and Natsu, of course." Mira joined in with a giggle.

"We heard you guys had a _fun_ night." Lisanna informed with a light blush.

"It was consensual, I hope." Erza said softly. Her face was still beat red, but her tone promised punishment if she got an answer she didn't like.

"Consensual? Fun?" Lucy whispered to herself. Like some of the others, the blonde's face exploded into a bright red blush. "N-No! We haven't-! We didn't-!" She hid her face in her hands. "We didn't!"

"There's no need to hide it!" Cana chuckled, slapping Lucy's back.

"We've only been dating for a few days!"

"So?" The Card mage asked.

"Juvia offers her body to Gray-sama." Juvia added.

Lucy dropped her head onto the table.

"We didn't have s-s-sex." The Celestial mage stuttered.

"That's disappointing." Cana sighed, plopping down on the bench next to the blonde.

"I guess we did jump the gun on that one." Lisanna replied sheepishly, sitting down next to Wendy.

"The males in this guild are to blame." Charle huffed. She silently included the blue Exceed that started this whole mess in the group.

"When did you guys get back?" Lucy asked, trying to steer the conversation to a different direction.

"This morning." Mira replied, placing down a much-needed smoothie for Lucy.

"Thanks." The Celestial mage sighed in contentment.

"I guess it gives me time to teach you." Cana snickered.

"Wendy is right here!" Charle hissed, standing in front of the blushing, young wizard.

"Are you okay, Erza-san?" Juvia asked softly, seeing the Re-quip mage's face a cherry red color.

"Erza's just imagining herself in that situation with Je-" Mira replied but was cut off when the red head put a hand against her mouth.

* * *

"So?" Max drawled out.

"Don't leave out any details." Macao insisted. Next to him, Romeo repeatedly hit his head against the wooden table.

"About what?" Natsu questioned.

"Natsu!" Happy cried, crashing into his partner's chest. "Where were you last night?! I thought Lucy ate you to get fatter!"

"I stayed the night at Lucy's. You could've joined us." The Fire Dragon Slayer said casually.

"I didn't know Natsu was into voyeurism." Nab whispered to Vijeeter. The Dancer magic wizard nodded in agreement.

"How is Lucy in bed?" Wakaba asked, puffing smoke as he talked.

"In bed?" Natsu said softly. Why were they asking about _that_? "She doesn't move much."

Collective 'oh's' echoed between the men.

"It's manly to do all of the work!" Elfman exclaimed proudly.

"Not as energetic as I thought she would be." Macao hummed.

"It was her first time, wasn't it? That's perfect for you, Natsu. You can teach her." Wakaba added, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"What do you mean first time? She does it every night." The Fire Dragon Slayer informed. "I don't need to teach her."

Another collective round of 'oh's' rang out.

"I didn't know Lucy was like that." Max said, surprised.

"Oui." Reedus agreed, having heard the conversation from his seat by the stage. He was absently adding color to the scene he painted of the guild.

"I don't think Lucy-nee will appreciate you telling everyone, Natsu-nii." Romeo said nervously, lifting his face from the table.

"I thought everyone knew." The Fire Dragon Slayer said in confusion. He looked at Happy, who replied with a shrug.

"Everyone in Magnolia knows? She must really get around." Macao gasped, looking at Wakaba with wide eyes.

"We could've had a chance when we were younger." Wakaba said in revelation.

Natsu and Happy shared a confused look.

"How many positions did you try yesterday?" Max asked.

"Wh-what?" Lucy gasped, nearly dropping the plate of fire pasta in her hands.

"Oh, hey, Lucy." Natsu greeted.

"Lucy, you stole Natsu, yesterday." Happy said with a pout.

"What are you guys talking about here?" Lucy asked, not trying to assume anything.

"Natsu was just telling us about your nightly _exploits._ I didn't realize you were so experienced, Lucy." Max said suavely.

"And here I thought that innocent girl act was the real deal." Macao snickered. Beside him, Romeo couldn't even face Lucy without his face turning completely red.

"It's hard to believe such an experienced person would just lie there. Were you going easy on Natsu?" Wakaba questioned.

"What the heck?" Lucy nearly screeched. "Natsu, what are you telling them?!"

"He was telling us how he lost his virginity last night and how _experienced_ you are in the subject with other men every night." Gray chuckled with a snort after having stayed quiet during the discussion. He knew Natsu's answers didn't fit with what the others were asking. The matchstick was dense like that.

"Natsu!" The Celestial yelled, heatedly putting down the flaming plate of pasta on the table. "I never-!" Before she finished that sentence, her face turned red in embarrassment. That was personal information she was about to yell out… "Why did you lie just to seem like you-!" Lucy just huffed, pivoting on her heels and turning back and walking away.

"H-Hey! Wait, what did I do?" Natsu asked, standing up.

"Come on, Juvia." The blonde said, grabbing the Water wizard's hand. "Let's go tell Makarov about our idea."

Juvia didn't question her friend as she was dragged upstairs.

"What did Natsu do now?" Lisanna asked, putting her head in her hand.

"Lucy!" The Fire Dragon Slayer called out.

"Lucy!" Happy repeated.

"Messed up your first relationship after only a few days. Congrats." Gray said, clapping Natsu on the back.

"What did I even do?" Natsu asked, scratching his head.

"What do you mean, what did you do?" Max questioned.

"You told us Lucy had sexual escapades everyday." Macao informed.

"And she doesn't move during sex." Wakaba added.

Romeo ran a hand down his face.

"What? No I didn't!" Natsu denied.

"Then what were you telling us just now?" Max asked.

"You asked what Lucy was like in bed." Natsu replied. The group looked at each other. "So I told you! She's kind of a light sleeper and she doesn't really move around. And I don't know why you guys don't think she sleeps everyday."

"Should've figured." Macao sighed.

"Good luck getting her to forgive you." Wakaba added.

"I didn't do anything." Natsu groaned, dropping his head onto the table. The side of his forehead hit the side of the flaming pasta bowl, flipping it over his head.

"Relax, matchstick. She isn't the type to hold a grudge." Gray said, holding in a chuckle as the flames from the pasta festered in Natsu's hair.

"Maybe you should give her a fish." Happy suggested, watching as the Celestial mage as she and Juvia entered Master's office.

* * *

"Master?" Lucy called out, knocking lightly on the door.

"Come in." Master replied. He looked up from the papers on his desk. "Lucy, Juvia, what can I do for you?"

"We're doing our carnival event together and were hoping you'd help us get some exotic fish and some kind of pool to do scuba diving." The Celestial mage informed. At her side, Juvia nodded, allowing Lucy to do all of the talking.

"Fish and a large aquarium." Master said thoughtfully with a nod. "I'll request it right away." He said with a concealed sigh, getting out another request form and glaring at it.

"You look stressed, Master. Is everything all right?" Juvia questioned.

"Yes, yes, don't worry about me." Makarov said, waving them off.

Lucy and Juvia looked at each other curiously. Their Master was always stressed with paperwork, considering how destructive their members were. However, he looked more confused than ever. The two women heard the elder wizard muttering numbers before writing something on the form, and then erasing it.

The Celestial mage peered over, reading the words on the paper.

"You're filling it out wrong, Master." The blonde informed softly. "Why are you putting a number value where you're supposed to write the material object you are requesting?"

Makarov looked up. He stared at his guild child straight in the eye.

"You're the daughter of a business mogul." He stated.

"Yes?" Lucy replied, uncertainly. Juvia looked between the two of them silently.

"You've probably been taught all about business and government since you were little." Makarov continued. The Celestial wizard nodded. "So you know how to fill this out?"

"It's a common request form, yes." The blonde said.

Makarov's serious facial features morphed into a puppy-eyed look. Juvia nervously took a step back.

"Would you be so kind as to handle this paperwork?" The Master of Fairy Tail pleaded. "There are some workers that will be here soon to go over the layout of our events."

"Of course, Master. I guess it's finally time to put all of those years of studies to good use." Lucy replied with an amused grin, going around the desk. Master got out of his plush seat, allowing the Celestial mage to take his place. "I'll take care of everything."

"Thank you, my dear." Makarov said, rushing out the door.

"Juvia doesn't think she has seen Master run so fast." The Water mage said in awe. She looked over, watching Lucy take out the rest of the forms and started scribbling away. "Does Lucy-san need any help?"

"That's okay, Juvia. Thanks for the offer." The blonde replied, giving her friend a reassuring smile. "Where do you want our event? In a high traffic area or low?"

"Well," Juvia drawled out, looking passed the doorway.

"Next to Gray, I got it." Lucy giggled. "Why don't you go down there and spend some time with him?"

The Water wizard didn't need to be told twice. Juvia quickly walked back downstairs. Things seemed back to normal. The usual crowd was already in the middle of the guild, brawling it out. Juvia's face heated up, hearing flesh connect with flesh. Oh, how she wished she and her Gray-sama were doing a similar act.

"Gray-sama," Juvia sighed happily, getting close to the group and unbuttoning her shirt. "Allow Juvia to join!"

* * *

"Can I get you anything, Master?" Mirajane asked as she saw the elder man climb onto the bar counter.

"Fairy Tail specialty wine, Mira." Makarov requested with a grin.

"You're awfully cheerful, Master." Kinana noticed. "Did you finally finish all of those request forms?"

"Not at all." Makarov replied.

The two barmaids looked at each other questioningly.

"You are aware you have an appointment with some city officials to discuss everything, right, Master?" Kinana reminded.

"Don't worry. The work is in capable hands." Master chuckled, accepting a mug from Mirajane and drinking it heartily.

"Who-?" Mira began asking before she was cut off by Natsu, who's body was thrown into the bar counter.

"Maybe we should stop them before the officials get here." Kinana suggested.

"Speak of the devil." Mira giggled, seeing five adults cautiously peak through the doorway. She easily maneuvered around the brawl to get to the group.

"Ugh," Natsu groaned, sitting up and holding his head.

"Are you all right?" Kinana questioned, looking over the bar.

Makarov sighed. He hoped Mira could do damage control with the officials. The Titan wizard enlarged his hand and lengthened his arm, slamming a fist down in the middle of the fight, effectively stopping his rowdy children from causing any more destruction.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail." Mira sang pleasantly, giving the group a sweet smile. "Can I get you anything before you get to work?"

The group of city officials stared warily at the groaning group of wizards in the middle of the guild.

"Excuse us for the," Makarov coughed. "Disruption. Please, have a drink, on us."

Mirajane gracefully led the group to an empty table, clear of any damages. The stunned city officials silently sat down while the barmaid went to fetch drinks.

The Fairy Tail wizards started whispering, frantically getting things back in order with a glare from Makarov. Tables were righted and the broken furniture was cleaned up. In record time, the guild was back in running order.

"Here you go." Mira said, holding a tray with five colorful drinks. "Smoothies for a hot day."

"Thank you." A female city official said, snapping her colleague out of their bewildered states.

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage questioned kindly.

"We would like to get started on the preparations as soon as possible. The sun is already quite high in the sky and there is much to cover; especially in such a big city as ours." The woman informed. Being the only speaker, so far, Mirajane realized she was the leader of the group.

"Of course. Feel free to take the smoothies with you. We can collect the glasses afterwards." Mira replied, walking off to get the master.

"Lucy-chan!" Master called loudly.

"Lucy?" Natsu asked softly, still sitting on the ground.

The Celestial mage quickly hopped down the stairs, a binder in her hands. The Fire Dragon Slayer noticed she changed her hairstyle a bit, whether to look more professional or to keep cool in the summer heat, he didn't know. Her blonde bangs were now pinned back, revealing a smooth forehead.

"Lucy, dear." Makarov said, gesturing to the group of city officials. "These are the lovely people who you will be working with today." He then addressed the officials. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Lucy Heartfilia."

"It is a pleasure to meet you all." The blonde wizard greeted professionally.

"Daughter of the late Jude Heartfilia. Please, the pleasure is all mine." The leader of the group replied, shaking hands with the Celestial mage. "My name is Chloe." She then gestured to two other women. "Emmy and Adela." The leader motioned to two remaining men. "And those two are Buck and Walter."

"Hello." Lucy addressed.

"Shall we get started?" Chloe asked, standing up and grabbing the free smoothie.

"Of course." The Celestial mage replied with a nod.

"Here," Mirajane cut in, handing Lucy strawberry smoothie. "It's hot outside."

"Thanks, Mira." Lucy said gratefully. The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage winked, sending the blonde a silent good luck.

The officials led the way out of the guildhall, Lucy trailing behind them.

"Where's Lucy going?" Happy asked, flying to Natsu – who finally stood up.

"Gramps?" The Fire Dragon Slayer asked.

"She's on a mission I personally assigned her to." Makarov replied, easily relaxing.

"In other words, you pawned off paperwork to the daughter of a business tycoon." Gray commented, crossing his arms over his bare chest as he walked over. "I have to admit, seeing Lucy acting as a professional businesswoman is kind of hot."

"Hey," Natsu said dryly.

"Love rival." Juvia whispered angrily.

"Being a businesswoman is manly!" Elfman declared.

"I hope she puts my booth in a good spot." Lisanna said excitedly.

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed with a raised paw. "I want to be next to a fish stand!"

Master Makarov sighed. Regardless of what his other children wanted, he knew Lucy would place each attraction where it would get the maximum amount of profits. Makarov began to grin. Even after the mayor claimed a portion of the earnings, Fairy Tail was about to be rich!

* * *

"I think we should put the stage here," Lucy said. "With the Ferris Wheel on the other side of the park, it would be an easy walk for our guests."

"Of course." Chloe agreed, taking notes on a notepad.

The Celestial wizard flipped through her binder, jotting down location notes on specific request forms.

"The Thunder God Tribe needs the stage for flash contests, Gajeel needs it for his singing, and Erza needs it for her one-woman performance." Lucy read off. "We can figure out the schedule later, but I believe this will be an optimal location."

"This is why I like you, bunny girl." A gruff voice commented. "A stage nice and close to the main crowd."

The blonde suddenly felt her head being patted. She looked over and saw the Iron Dragon Slayer standing next to her with a smirk. Behind him, Team Shadow Gear waved in greeting.

"I'm sure someone enjoys your _music._ " Lucy coughed jokingly. "Were you on a mission together?"

"Well," Levy drawled out. "Sort of."

"Gajeel invited us on a mission." Jet informed proudly, gesturing to Droy.

"No I didn't! You idiots followed me!" The Iron Dragon Slayer huffed.

"And I followed them to make sure everything went all right." Levy giggled.

"Let's talk later. I want to hear all about this." The blonde woman laughed, shifting her eyes to briefly look at the city officials. The Solid Script wizard nodded, dragging the arguing boys to the guild.

"I believe we should tackle the next area." Chloe suggested.

"Of course. Excuse me." Lucy apologized. "Next, I think the booth for flying should be a little outside of the park. It'll be close enough for Lisanna to fly near the Ferris wheel and attract interest while also drawing guests to her area."

* * *

…Sunset…

* * *

"Excellent work today, as expected." Chloe remarked, shaking Lucy's hand once more. Buck took the binder full of request forms and little notes from the blonde wizard. "We will have everything prepared as soon as possible."

"Thank you for all of your hard work." The Celestial mage replied. The city officials escorted Lucy to the front of the Fairy Tail guildhall.

The group handed Lucy all of the glassware that Mirajane had given them and waved their goodbyes. Once they were out of sight, Lucy let out a sigh of relief before entering the familiar building.

"How'd it go?" Makarov asked as he noticed Lucy at the door.

"It went well. I hope everything turns out to your liking." The blonde replied.

"Good work." Master commented, patting Lucy's behind.

"Master," Mira warned. Makarov nervously took his hand back.

With an uneasy shiver, the Celestial wizard walked to the bar counter, putting down the dirty glasses in her possession.

"Can I get you anything?" Kinana asked, taking the glassware and placing them in a bin full of dirty dishes.

"Some spaghetti would be really nice right now." Lucy softly pleaded.

"Of course." Kinana giggled, going into the kitchen with the bin.

The Celestial mage exhaled tiredly, walking to the table that housed her team.

"You look like you could use this." Gray said, offering his mug of ale.

"No thanks." Lucy sighed, slumping her head on Natsu's shoulder.

"Lu-" The Fire Dragon Slayer began.

"I'm still mad at you." The blonde interrupted. Natsu froze.

"Would you like some cake?" Erza offered as she was about to flag down one of the barmaids.

"I think you should eat a good dinner to regain some energy." Wendy suggested.

"Fish will fix you right up! I'll get some right away!" Happy said, flying quickly to the bar counter.

"I already asked Kinana to make me dinner." Lucy called out, but it was too late. The blue Exceed was already requesting some fish from Mirajane.

"He just wanted the fish." Charle remarked.

After dinner, the team continued chatting carelessly. Though Lucy was still a bit peeved at her boyfriend, she allowed the boy to hold her hand under the table. He was a bit of a dense idiot, sometimes, but she could overlook his faults and forgive him.

A bright flash of white light shined throughout the guild. Everyone tensed for an attack. When the light simmered down, the wizards saw an intricately elegant, pure white magic circle spinning in the middle of the floor. The magic shined, revealing a transparent gateway. Slowly, the gates opened, exposing a black void. The Fairy Tail wizards tensely stood their ground.

"It's okay, everyone! It's for me." Lucy yelled, standing up from her table.

"For you?" Master Makarov asked.

"It's my gate." The Celestial mage replied, giving everyone a sweet smile.

"Your gate." Natsu whispered, standing up as well.

"Then who owns your key?" Gray asked next, a bit jokingly.

"The Spirit King, of course." Lucy giggled, as though it was a silly question.

Natsu held onto her hand, "Lucy?"

The blonde quickly kissed his cheek, getting out of her seat.

"I'll be back in time for the carnival, I promise." Lucy informed. "Don't wait up. Time runs differently in the other realm."

"Are you a…" Happy questioned nervously. "What are you?"

"What do you think I am?" Lucy teased with a giggle. "See everyone in a few days!" With that, she jogged through the gates without hesitation.

The Fairy Tail wizards stood silently, in shock. Who was Lucy Heartfilia?


	39. Summer Carnival

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Summer Carnival

* * *

"Thank you for trusting me. I will work harder in the future." Lucy said gratefully, bowing deeply to the group in front of her.

The figures in the group all nodded before turning their backs to the Celestial Wizard and walking off. Lucy stayed in her position until she felt a firm hand on her back.

"You can get up now." Loke chuckled.

The blonde woman stood up straight, exhaling a breath of relief. She carefully cradled five black Celestial Keys in her hands, admiring the beautiful designs.

"That was nerve-wracking."

"You have five new Spirits in your arsenal." He said, patting his owner on the back.

"Five new friends to work with." Lucy corrected with an innocent smile. Leo couldn't help but chuckle once more, moving his arm to place around her shoulders.

"What shall we do, now, princess?" Loke asked suggestively.

"No thanks, Casanova." She replied, pushing against his chest with her pointer finger. "I'm taken now."

"And what a tragic day that was." He sighed dramatically. "I lost to Natsu, of all people."

"Hey!" Lucy huffed.

"At least he's a good man." Leo laughed jovially. "Tell him I'm keeping an eye on him. No one hurts you on my watch."

She smiled up at him in thanks, "Will do."

The pair stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes as Lucy went over her new contracts in her mind. She feverishly memorized her Spirit's requested days off and how often each Spirit allowed her to summon them.

"Don't forget what we talked about, old friend." The Spirit King's voice echoed across the central plaza as he appeared in the sky. "Retrieve it by any means."

"I don't want to steal from Master." Lucy replied worriedly.

" _He'll_ show up any day now." Leo commented, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's best you have the seal in your possession."

"And do not forget, another has had eight years to perfect themselves. She will be looking for you." The King added.

"I understand." The Celestial wizard said.

"Her seal." The Spirit King presented, levitating a small pouch in front of her. Lucy nodded, grabbing the object.

The three stood in silence, letting the information sink in.

"There's one more thing." Loke admitted. "It's about Cancer."

"I know." Lucy said softly. "I saw in the newspaper. I didn't realize his was so close, though."

"Yeah, in Onibus." Leo said.

"She is making progress." The Spirit King reminded. "Best we look for the others."

Lucy nodded in reply, wracking her mind for any clues that she might've overlooked.

"Say," Loke hummed. His key holder looked up at him. "Don't you have a carnival to get to?"

Lucy gasped, tightening her grip on her new keys and the other objects she was taking back.

"I'm leaving, now!" She exclaimed up to the King. A portal with open white gates around it appeared a few feet in front of her.

"I'll see you again soon, old friend." The Spirit King responded with a firm nod.

"Bye!" Lucy replied, waving behind her as she ran through her gate.

"She always forgets about the time difference." Loke sighed.

* * *

"It sure is rare to see most of us here all at once." Mira commented as she watched her bustling guild mates hang around the guildhall.

"That carnival is tomorrow, after all." Master Makarov said with a firm nod.

"Look at poor Natsu and Happy, though." Lisanna added with a teasing pout. "We know someone is still away."

The group turned to look at a pouting Fire Dragon Slayer and his Exceed partner. The two were pathetically poking and prodding at the gift they had gotten for Lucy upon her return.

"She has been gone for six days." Mira said. "I'm sure she'll be here soon."

"Celestial wizards never break their promises." Makarov said with a chuckle, taking a gulp of his drink.

"I wonder what's taking her so long." Lisanna asked.

"She'll tell us when she's ready." Makarov replied. "We just have to trust her."

The sisters looked at each other and smile. Fairy Tail wasn't a paradise, and it wasn't always perfect, but they wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

The guild was abruptly filled with a white flash of light. As though she heard her friends talking about her, Lucy stepped out of a pure white gateway. Lightly frazzled, she blinked her eyes to focus.

"Still as bright as ever." The Celestial wizard mumbled, rubbing an eye.

"Speaking of the devil." Lisanna giggled.

"Welcome back." Mira greeted. "How was the Celestial Realm?"

"Pretty goo- oof!" Lucy started to reply, however was tackled into a hug by Natsu. Happy followed at a more subdued rate, floating over to the couple.

"You're back!" The Fire Dragon Slayer exclaimed, abruptly letting her go. Lucy heard their guild mates chuckling in amusement. Was this how Natsu was like in a relationship?

"You've been gone for six days." Happy pouted. "Did you bring anything for us?"

"How about a book?" Lucy asked, holding up the mentioned object.

"Ugh, no thanks." Natsu grumbled, going back to the team table. She shrugged, sending the book, pouch, and the new keys to her Re-quip inventory.

"But we got something for you." The blue Exceed informed, following the two humans.

"Oh?" The blonde hummed. Suddenly, a very raw, very chilled fish with a bow on top was thrust in her face. "Oh."

"We caught it in the lake." Natsu snickered. "You like slimy things, don't you?" The Celestial wizard nervously took the offered gift, holding in a shiver as it touched her skin.

Someone snorted in amusement as a rose made of ice appeared in Lucy's vision.

"You're supposed to give women flowers, inferno." Gray scoffed. The blonde giggled at the indignant look Natsu gave the Ice-Make wizard. Lucy took the rose from her teammate with amusement.

"I'm going to ask Mira to cook this," She informed. "Or something." As the blonde passed by a jealous Water wizard, Lucy gave Juvia the rose and a pat on the shoulder.

"Looks delicious." Lisanna snickered.

"Mira," Lucy whimpered in dismay, holding out the fresh fish.

"Not a problem." The Take-Over: Satan Soul mage said, easily plucking the seafood out of the blonde's hand and taking it into the kitchen.

Master sighed silently. There was never a dull day at the guild.

* * *

"If there was something here before, there definitely isn't now." Goldmine said, crossing his arms. He walked into an empty cavern. Besides the light scuffle on the rocky ground, there were no indications that something or someone had been there.

"Man." Bacchus huffed, putting his hands behind his head. "You sure those Fairies gave you the right place?"

"Makarov was very specific." Goldmine replied. "There's no invisibility spell, either. Let's look around outside."

"You're the boss." The Palm mage said, taking a chug out of his gourd.

The two Quatro Cerberus wizards pivoted on their heels to face the entrance of the cave. Small pebbles fell from the cliff side, bouncing inside. Bacchus took a cautious step forward, protecting the Master of his guild. All was quiet.

A flash of light shone in their eyes.

* * *

…Morning…

* * *

Lucy hummed as she stood over her table, reading the book Levy lent her. She was absently smoothing out her hair into a high ponytail. Her song ended with a squeak as she felt someone else's hands take over her hair styling.

"You're jumpy, today."

"How many times do I have to tell you to not enter through my window?" Lucy hissed, dropping her hands to the table.

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu replied. He fished out a ribbon from his pocket, tying it around the ponytail he held. "You're hair is as long as Erza's now."

"You don't like it?" She asked, adjusting the hairdo and turning to a mirror.

"I like it if you do." The Fire Dragon Slayer said with a shrug.

Lucy tilted her head from side to side, eyeing the ribbon. It was a black ribbon with a fire design on the tips. On one tip, overlapping the fire was a white Fairy Tail insignia.

"Cute. Thank you." Lucy said, initiating a short kiss. He placed his hand behind her neck, encouraging her to stay a bit longer. The sweet kissed turned into one with a little more heat as their lips glided against each other.

Eventually, the couple pulled apart. The blonde leaned back, blushing prettily as she turned her head away. Her eyes landed on a blue figure sitting on her bed.

"Aye!" Happy cheered, holding up a paw.

The Celestial's face grew hotter. She abruptly stepped out of Natsu's hold.

"Are you ready? You said you needed to get to the guild early, today, before the carnival starts." Natsu asked.

"In just a second." She said. Her boyfriend looked over her outfit. The blonde wore a white bikini top with a pink Fairy Tail insignia on her right breast and black short-shorts.

"That's what you're wearing?" The pink haired questioned.

"I'll be near water all day." Lucy explained.

"Make sure this doesn't fall off." Natsu snickered, tugging at the tied bow behind her neck.

"Natsu!" She hissed, batting his hand away.

"Well, I'm sure no one would mind the view." The Fire Dragon Slayer joked.

"Pervert!" Lucy gasped, covering her breasts with her arms.

"Aye." Happy sighed in disappointment.

After much convincing done by Lucy to get the two males to exit through the door, the trio eventually made it to the guildhall. The Fairy Tail wizards had a few hours before the carnival started at noon. Everyone who was awake finished last minute preparations and looked over a map of Magnolia to see their assigned stations.

"Good morning, you three." Master Makarov greeted. "I hope you don't mind overseeing everything, Lucy."

"Of course not, Master." The Celestial wizard replied, letting go of Natsu's hand. "Are Freed and Mira here?"

"Just as you requested." Makarov said with a cheeky grin. Looks like his job became easier, today. The old man led Lucy to the bar where the two requested mages were. The group then went to the second floor of the guild.

Natsu and Happy turned to each other and shrugged. The pair sat at an empty table and ordered some breakfast from Kinana. Romeo soon joined them, excitedly talking to Natsu about their upcoming fire show. Happy eagerly started looking around for Wendy and Charle. Mostly Charle.

Gray was the next to walk in through the doors. Oddly enough, Juvia accompanied him. The Water and Ice wizards also went over to the table.

"Good morning." Juvia greeted politely. "Natsu-san, have you seen Lucy-san?"

"She's with Gramps." The Fire Dragon Slayer said.

"Got tired of you already?" Gray joked, sitting down.

"Juvia is cheering you on, Natsu-san. Keep Love Rival away from Gray-sama." Juvia cheered encouragingly.

Before Natsu could retort, the perimeter of the guild was enveloped in a magical barrier, stopping all conversations. With the exception of the inner balcony at the front of the building, the interior glowed briefly with dark purple magic.

"What was that?" Happy questioned, looking around.

"I think that was just Freed." Lisanna said, walking over with a tray full of Natsu and Happy's orders. "Mira said that Lucy's turning the guild into a tourist attraction today. Well, just the front portion."

"To ensure no stragglers mess with anything inside." Erza commented with a nod. "Smart girl."

"Good morning, Erza." Lisanna greeted.

"You look prepared." Gray said with a raised eyebrow. Behind the Re-quip wizard was her cart full of luggage with props sticking out.

"I will be giving it my all, today." The red head said with stars in her eyes.

"That's perfect, Mira." Lucy's voice travelled to the table. Natsu turned to see her and the others walking back down the stairs. "So we'll have this come on every three minutes or so."

"Whatever you think is best." Mira replied. "Let me get you breakfast before you go around the city."

"Thanks." The Celestial mage sighed in relief. Her stomach felt like it would eat itself soon. As she travelled down the stairs, Lucy looked at the runes lining just after the inner balcony. "Good work, Freed. I expect nothing less from you."

The mentioned man graciously accepted the compliment with a slight bow of his head. He then replied "Of course. I believe checking it over with Levy would be optimal."

"I'm sure it's fine." Lucy waved off. "I trust you."

The Runes wizard looked almost touched by her words. They didn't know each other particularly well, nor did they talk often. However, it was still nice to be complimented by another guild member.

"I leave this in your capable hands, Lucy." Makarov cut in, handing Lucy a clipboard with multiple sheets of paper.

"You can count on me." The Celestial mage said, taking the offered object and walking to the table that housed her team.

"Good morning, Lucy." Lisanna greeted.

"Good morning, Lisanna." The blonde replied back. The Take-Over: Animal Soul mage smiled before going back to the bar with the tray. "Everyone."

After the group greeted the new arrival, Juvia asked, "What do you need Juvia to do?"

Lucy hummed in thought. "Can you talk to fish?"

"Juvia does not possess that ability, Lucy-san." The Water wizard replied evenly.

"Then just sit and relax." The blonde said with a light laugh, taking a seat next to her boyfriend. She put the clipboard down on the table, covering it from Natsu's stray food particles.

Gray tilted his head, trying to read the top sheet of paper that Lucy flipped over to look at the ones under it.

"Five hundred jewels for a flight with Lisanna?" The Ice-Make mage read out loud. "We're charging these people?"

"A carnival has to make money somehow." Lucy replied without looking up.

"Don't stress out too much, Lucy." Mira commented, placing down a steaming plate of breakfast foods.

"Yeah, that one pimple will turn into many." Happy snickered. Natsu snorted in amusement.

Romeo sighed, leaning his head in his propped up hand. He turned to the others, "Is this a healthy relationship?'

"Juvia believes it is their version of flirting." Juvia answered.

"Every relationship is different." Mira commented, giggling at Lucy's glare to the pink haired boy. "But aren't they cute?"

"This is their version of healthy." Gray said.

"They're closer than it seems." Erza added with a fond smile.

"It's like we're invisible." Lucy whispered, covering the motions of her mouth with her hand. Natsu and Happy nodded in agreement.

After the eventful breakfast, Lucy finally got to work. She hopped from table to table, informing each individual how much to charge the visitors and when to take their breaks. Natsu silently trailed her with his eyes.

"How you managed to get a girl as brilliant as Lucy is still beyond me." Gray joked.

"Is this what it's like to be in love?" Romeo asked curiously.

"This is the happy side of love." Juvia said, dreaming of her and Gray walking in the park, smiling at each other.

"Shouldn't Macao be teaching you this stuff?" Happy asked.

"He's a bit-" Romeo paused. "Lacking in the love department."

"Never say that sentence again." Gray sighed, crossing his arms on the table.

"How do you know you're in love?" Romeo enquired next. The others peered at each other.

"You're happy when you're together." Natsu cut in with a goofy grin.

"It's a bit more complicated." Erza said with a light laugh. "But that's a big part of it."

"And you feel like you want to be with that person all the time." Juvia sighed happily, looking beside her at the Ice Make mage.

"You want to protect them at all costs." Gray added with a shrug.

"Love is complex." The Re-quip mage finished. Happy nodded sagely, as though he knew the answer all along.

"And how do you stay in love?" The young wizard asked, briefly looking at the door as Wendy and Charle walked in.

The table fell silent. Natsu turned to stare softly at Lucy, once more.

"Effort." The Fire Dragon Slayer answered without turning to look at the group. "It takes effort to stay in love."

"Sounds hard." Romeo replied.

"It doesn't have to be." Natsu said, grinning. "It should be exciting, not a chore. You make an effort to hang out with them and have fun together and solve your problems together, care for each other. Feelings come and go, but if you're motivated and put enough work into being with someone, the feeling stays. Besides, nothing is ever dull with Lucy around."

"You're more mature than I thought you were, Natsu." Erza piped in with a fond smile.

"Aye!" Happy agreed, standing up on the table as Charle flew over with Wendy.

"Good morning." Wendy greeted cheerfully, sitting down in an empty spot.

"Good communication." Charle added, landing on the table. "Trust and forgiveness."

"Aye! I trust you, Charle." Happy declared, presenting the white Exceed with a fish.

"Lucy-san is a lucky girl." Juvia said. "Does she know you love her, Natsu-san?"

The Fire Dragon Slayer hushed the blue haired girl frantically. He looked around for his girlfriend to make sure she wasn't nearby to hear anything.

"Lucy knows nothing." Happy informed.

"Too scared to say it, Flame Brain?" Gray asked in amusement. The pink haired man turned away, refusing to answer his rival's question.

Romeo watched the group bicker and chat. Maybe he'd stay a kid for a little longer.

* * *

"Wild! Have Master and Bacchus sent any word?" Rocker asked, his loud voice echoing across the guildhall.

"Nothing, yet." Another member answered just as loudly.

"Guys! Come out here!"

The cry from outside of the guild caught everyone's attention. The guild members scampered out the doors, stopping near a kneeling Warcry.

"What is it?" Rocker asked, pushing his way through the crowd. Warcry turned tear stained eyes to his friend. "What wild thing got you readying a spell for?" Rocker paused as he looked at the prone body on the ground.

Bacchus, unconscious, lay at their feet. Rocker knelt down, inspecting Quatro Cerberus' only S-Class wizard. The Palm magic wizard's face was as pale as a ghost, his body slightly feverish.

"What about Master?" Jäger asked, weaving through the crowd.

"I only found Bacchus here." Warcry informed, his tears growing larger.

"This isn't wild!" Rocker yelled, standing up. "Save your magic, Warcry. We're going to find Master Goldmine!"

The other guild members cried out their signature catchphrase.

"I'll get Bacchus to the back room." Jäger said, standing up with the limp S-Class wizard on his shoulder.

"Into the guild! We have a lot of wild planning to do!" Rocker announced.

* * *

"You guys have your schedule?" Lucy asked, looking over the group of six in front of her. They all nodded. "All right, then the stage is yours. And don't fight for more time."

"Why are you looking at me?" Gajeel huffed, stopping his fingers from tuning his guitar.

"And Erza," Lucy added, turning to stare at the red head. "It doesn't matter how much the audience wants an encore for your one-woman plays. Stick to the schedule."

"I will keep that in mind." The Re-quip wizard replied.

"Now, you guys," The Celestial wizard said, turning to the last four people. "The prize crowns and free ride tickets are behind the stage. You'll see a big box and a small box on a table. And, at least, try to keep it contained, today."

"No promises, Cosplayer." Bickslow chuckled, his tongue hanging out.

"We won't destroy _everything_." Evergreen said, flipping her fan open. Freed and Laxus nodded along.

Lucy felt the urge to run a hand down her face. She decided against the action and walked towards her own booth. The carnival was about to start. Already, there were masses of visitors milling around the area, looking at all of the available entertainment and food stalls.

"Finally, you're here." Natsu called out.

"You guys all ready to go?" Lucy asked, jogging towards them to hurry her steps.

"Empty guitar case for tips," Romeo listed as he looked down. "Check."

"Fire?" Natsu said next with a silly grin. The torch in his hand became engulfed in flames. "Check!"

"Don't grill my fish." Lucy warned lightly.

"Lucy~!" Happy yelled excitedly, flying towards the woman and landing in front of her. "Your aquarium looks delicious."

A very tall aquarium was displayed in the middle of street. Juvia stood on top of the ledge hanging over the water, discreetly watching Gray. The Ice Make wizard was busy organizing rental ice skates into an orderly fashion.

"Bad." Lucy scolded calmly. She knelt down with a spray bottle in hand and shot the blue Exceed with a mist of water.

The two seemed frozen in time. Happy's eyes pooled with tears, eventually falling down his cheeks.

"Natsu!" Happy cried, flying away.

"That was mean, Lucy." Natsu pouted, holding the Exceed with his free arm.

"I'll buy you a fish tomorrow, Happy." The Celestial wizard relented.

"Unlimited amounts of fish?" Happy pushed, smiling brightly.

Lucy's eyebrow ticked in irritation. She knew the little monster was just putting on a show. "We'll see."

The Exceed cheered before flying off to Charle and Lily at their assigned booth near Lisanna. They were taking people into the air together, after all. Lucy shook her head, sighing. She waved at Natsu and Romeo before climbing up a ladder to the platform above.

"It's going to be an interesting day." Romeo mumbled, readying his purple flare.

"Ready, Juvia?" Lucy asked, sitting on the edge and dangling her feet in the water. Various saltwater fish scattered away to hide in the large coral reef extending from the bottom. Eventually, the fish relaxed.

"Juvia believes this will be fun." The Water wizard said happily. She wore a cute and colorful bikini that complimented her blue hair.

"All right," Lucy exhaled, re-quipping a key to her hand. She dipped the end into the water. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius!"

"I hope you don't expect me to talk to these _creatures_." Aquarius scoffed.

"Of course not." Lucy replied with a grin. Whether the Celestial Spirit was referring to the humans milling around or the aquatic fish, she wasn't sure. "Just have fun and smile."

"This might be worse than when you summoned me to be a fountain." Aquarius said, putting her face intimidatingly close to the blonde.

"Now, now," Lucy nervously laughed, putting her hands up in surrender.

"But I'll let you off the hook." The Celestial Spirit said, turning away. Aquarius hid a small smile as she peered at Juvia. The Water wizard had gone back to ogling the Ice Make wizard down below. "You finally got a boyfriend, didn't you?"

"Hm?" Lucy hummed, looking down at Natsu. A fond smile appeared on her face. "Yeah. So no more teasing."

Aquarius scoffed playfully, "Not as hot as Scorpio, but he'll do for you."

The duo heard Juvia sigh longingly. Before the Water wizard could fall back into her daydreams, Lucy cleared her throat. "Juvia, let's get to work."

"Right away, Lucy-san." Juvia said instantly. She dived into the water easily. "Aquarius-san, how are you?"

"Not too shabby." The Celestial Spirit said pleasantly, following Juvia into the water. The two chatted aimlessly while slowly swimming around and through schools of fish to attract customers.

Lucy shook her head playfully as she wrote out a constellation. "Aquarii." Her right eye began to glow gold. The Celestial wizard swayed her feet through the water as she created a small water show. A large bird with two children on its back flew in the air at a lazy pace. Motioning her hand upwards, Lucy playfully shot a stream of water at the creature.

"Hey!" Lisanna complained. Though the children on her back laughed with joy. Lucy snickered lightly as she waved at them.

"Mommy, let's do that next!" A little boy yelled excitedly. "There's a mermaid in there!"

"Look at the huge fish." The other child, a young girl, said in awe as she peered over Lisanna's wing. "Can we?"

Behind Lisanna's group, the Exceeds flew with a suspended bench with the parents of the children seated on it. The two adults laughed lightly.

"Of course." The mother said delicately.

Lucy waved at the family joyfully.

"This is much easier to carry than Lucy." Happy exclaimed, holding onto the rope that connect to the bench. The Celestial wizard felt her eyebrow tick in irritation.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Nobarly asked, rewetting a small towel. He turned his head to look as the man on the infirmary bed shifted uneasily. "Bacchus?"

"Light." The Palm wizard mumbled under his breath. His eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" Nobarly asked.

His musings were cut to a halt as guild members in the main room yelled out in surprise.

"Everyone on deck! We're under attack!" Someone screamed, trying to get everyone back in order. "To the front! Protect the infirmary!"

The guildhall shook. Magic from friend and foe clashed relentlessly. Nobarly peaked out the window, watching for any stray people nearby that were too close to the infirmary for comfort. A flash of light filtered through the window.

* * *

"Even though Mira's voice is angelic," Max grumbled, leaning his cheek in his hand. "It's getting annoying."

"I agree." Warren said.

The two men groaned as they heard the hologram of the Take-Over: Satan Soul wizard speak once more.

" _Thank you for visiting Fairy Tail. For the safety of all visitors and citizens of Magnolia, please stay behind the runes and do not touch any stray objects in the guild. It may cause sudden teleportation to the past, launch you into a parallel universe, or summon an angry dragon. Thank you for your cooperation."_

Max shifted his hand to run down his face. The gift shop for the guild was getting quite a bit of business though. And any curious, non-wizards went to Warren to figure out what magic 'best suited' them with his make believe quiz. Today was going to be a long day.

People went in and out of the guild, being stopped at the end of the inner balcony by Freed's runes. The two wizards heard people 'ooh' and 'ahh' at the layout and comment how 'magical' it felt.

Warren watched as a flying speaker floated by before stopping in the middle of Fairy Tail's outdoor seating area. Someone's clearing of their throat echoed in the magically device.

"Is that the mayor?" The sand wizard asked.

" _Welcome! I hope you are enjoying your visit to Magnolia's first Carnival."_ Master announced. _"We are here in Southgate Park with a special guest, Chapati Lola."_

" _Hello!"_ Chapati greeted into the microphone.

" _Magnolia's pride and joy wizardry guild, Fairy Tail, has graciously participated in today's event."_ Kyros Wembley, Mayor of Magnolia, informed. _"And we have one more surprise. With Makarov Dreyar's permission, there will be an exhibition fight, right here in Southgate Park, every hour on the hour. A random guest will select two names out of a box, and those two wizards will show us their skills."_

* * *

"If you will please, Makarov." Kyros said, gesturing to the Master of Fairy Tail.

"Of course." Makarov replied, picking up a box and looking for a guest. He went over to a little girl and knelt at her side. "You ready?"

"Yeah!" The little girl said excitedly, but nervously. She reached her hand inside, taking out one piece of paper.

"And one more." Makarov encouraged, taking the slip away from her. She reached in, once more, swirling around the sheets of paper before deciding. "Thank you, my dear." He said cheerfully, patting her head. Makarov stood up and read the names. He wanted to snort in laughter.

"Let's see who the two lucky wizards are." Chapati said excitedly. Makarov handed off the papers to the announcer, placing the box back on its stand. "Gray Fullbuster versus…" Chapati paused. "Lucy Heartfilia!"

* * *

"What?!" Gray and Lucy yelled at the same time.

Gray, who was walking around in his ice rink to fix any scratches, slipped and slid into the wall. Lucy put her head in her hands.

"Hahaha~!" Natsu chortled and pointed at the Ice Make wizard. "Lucy's going to kick your ass, stripper!"

"Gray-sama will be the winner for sure!" Juvia argued, floating in the aquarium. "Show Lucy-san the power of our love, Gray-sama!"


	40. Organized Chaos

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Forty: Organized Chaos

* * *

Lucy let out a stressed breath, fidgeting with her ponytail. She stood next to Gray in Southgate Park, awaiting instructions from Master Makarov. The blonde looked over to watch Erza perform her one-woman play. It was about a knight taking a journey to find lost treasure…. and a princess? Lucy cocked her head in confusion. Why did Erza change into a princess costume? Where did she come from? And why was the background changing from a sunny forest to a stormy sea?

"I wouldn't even try to understand it." Gray whispered, bending down to her ear level. "I think she's been asking for tips from Rabian."

"Oh," She drawled out. Rabian. That man was a piece of work. Saying thank you at every opportunity, except when it was appropriate, and creating storylines that didn't quite make sense. She wondered how Erza would react if they took her to a _real_ play.

"Are you guys ready?" Makarov asked with a cheeky grin.

"Thanks for telling us about this, Gramps." Gray replied sarcastically.

"A little sparring is good for honing your skills." Master said with a firm nod as he led the duo out of the park.

"We fight almost everyday in the guild, Master." Lucy reminded dryly.

"Only when Natsu's around." Makarov sighed. The damage that boy caused…

"We're going into the shopping district?" The Ice Make wizard asked with a raised eyebrow.

Lucy tried to look ahead as far as she could. She was never told about this. What could be in the shopping district? There was always a crowd milling around, looking at all of the stalls and shops. Did Master really have a battle arena in the middle of it all?

The two young mages soon found out to never underestimate Fairy Tail's Master. In the middle of everything, there was a black platform that was to serve as a fighting ring. Gray hopped on, turning back to give Lucy a hand up the three foot climb.

"There are a lot of people." The Celestial wizard said worriedly. "Isn't this a bit dangerous?"

"Move towards the middle, kids." Makarov said with a wave of his hand. She and Gray took a few steps back.

Lucy yelped, falling to her butt as the stage shot up into the air. Gray knelt down, putting his hand on the ground to keep his balance a bit better than his sparring partner.

"And if we fall off?" Gray asked, standing up to peer over the side once it stopped elevating. The black battle podium became a large column in the middle of the shopping district. It could be seen from most positions in Magnolia. Or so the duo figured.

"Look at that." The blonde said in awe. She was on her hands and knees, clutching onto the corner of column as she looked over the side. On the sides of the square column, lacrima visions appeared, showing what was happening on top. They spotted a couple of lacrima cameras flying overhead.

" _Hello! This is Chapati Lola, welcoming you, once again, to Magnolia's first annual Carnival!"_ Chapati announced through the speakers. _"Fifteen minutes are on the clock for this exhibition battle. It's Gray Fullbuster versus Lucy Heartfilia!"_

"Again… What if we fall off?" The Ice Make mage asked, crossing his arms. There were no guardrails or any rope like the ones used in wrestling rings.

"Uhh…" Lucy hummed with uncertainty. It was a long drop… Nets started to come out of the column, extending out from underneath the lacrima visions. "I feel so safe, now." She commented sarcastically.

"Well," Gray cleared his throat. He gave her a confident grin when she looked at him. "I'm not going easy on you."

"Then I won't either." She laughed, standing in a ready pose.

" _Looks like they're ready, ladies and gentlemen!"_ Chapati cried out.

"I guess that means go." Gray remarked, slightly turning his body and putting his fist into the palm of his other hand. Icy mist started to flow around his hands.

"I guess so." Lucy replied with a grin, copying his stance.

He raised a questioning eyebrow. "You learned Ice magic, too?"

"Nope." She snickered. A golden magic circle appeared on her palm as she pulled out a key from her inventory. "Scorpio!"

A tornado of sand shot out before the Celestial Spirit materialized in Earth Land.

" _And Heartfilia gets the first shot with a surprise attack!"_ Chapati announced excitedly.

Gray closed an eye, shielding himself with his forearms. He was pushed back, nearly dangerously close to the edge. When the sand lessened in power, he batted it away from his vision. Lucy was in front of him, aiming at his head with a kick. With trained reflexes, Gray used his arm to take the attack, pushing her back after the hit.

Lucy flipped backwards, sticking her tongue out at him playfully.

"Sand Bullets!" Scorpio yelled, aiming his tail at the Ice Make wizard.

Gray went back into defense.

" _Heartfilia is not letting up! With a barrage of attacks, will Fullbuster be able to go on the offensive?!"_

Digging his feet into the ground, Gray ignored the shots and summoned a spell. "Ice Make: Lance!"

"Sand Wall." Scorpio countered. A wide stream of sand came up, protecting him and his owner.

"Nice." Lucy complimented, standing beside the Celestial Spirit.

"We are!" Scorpio chuckled, doing his signature hand gesture.

" _Gray Fullbuster and Lucy Heartfilia are on the same team in Fairy Tail. Is this a fight for leadership?!"_

The battle paused.

"Not really." The two wizards deadpanned.

* * *

"Come on, Gray-sama! Juvia believes you can beat ex-Love Rival!" Juvia cheered.

Aquarius stared longingly at her boyfriend on the nearest lacrima vision. He didn't know she was in Earth Land. It was her day off, after all.

"Yeah, Lucy! Kick his ass!" Natsu yelled, throwing fiery fists into the air. At that moment, Romeo threw a flaming baton above him. Natsu accidentally punched it in his excitement, making the object go flying into Gray's ice rink.

Romeo silently gasped, his mouth wide open as the attraction caught on fire. It was a good thing it was temporarily closed until Gray got back.

* * *

"Ice Make: Hammer!" Gray yelled. Multiple hammers appeared, hitting the ground while Lucy danced and dodged around them. Every few steps she took, a yellow magic circle appeared on the ground. Eventually, she had circled around her comrade.

"Pheonicis!" Lucy called, raising a hand into the air. Scorpio had retreated earlier, allowing his owner to utilize more magic. "Rise From the Ashes: Tower of Fire!"

The magic circles the Celestial wizard left on the ground glowed brightly. They formed lines in between them, creating a constellation, and trapping Gray in the middle of it. A pillar of fire shot out from the ground, enclosing the Ice Make wizard within it.

Lucy yelled out as she was hit with a small glacier. She skidded across the platform, quickly landing on her feet. Just as she looked up, Gray tackled her onto her back. His ice magic surrounding his body steamed off.

"Looks like I win." He said, a bit out of breath. A sword made of ice hovered nearby, looking like the 'finishing blow.'

Without his notice, Lucy drew a small constellation with her finger onto the ground surface. The Celestial wizard's right eye changed from the grey it turned with Pheonicis to a bright red.

"Maybe you should look again." She joked. "Draconis – Sky Dragon's Roar!" A whirlwind of magic escaped from her mouth. The tornado like spell lifted Gray's body into the air, whipping him around in a cyclone motion.

The Ice Make wizard steadied himself the best he could. He ended up upside down as he put his hands together.

"Ice Make: Gungnir!"

A spear clamped around Lucy, covering her body in ice. It shot into the air, taking her with it. The two spells lasted for only a few more seconds before releasing their captives. Gray and Lucy fell to the platform with a groan. Coincidentally, a bell rang, signaling that fifteen minutes were up.

" _Wow! What a spectacular display of skill from these two wizards!"_ Chapati said over the speaker. _"Round of applause for Lucy Heartfilia and Gray Fullbuster!"_

"You all right?" Gray asked. The Celestial wizard looked up, seeing his offered hand up.

"Nothing we aren't use to." Lucy kidded, grabbing his hand. The two of them swayed to regain their balance as the platform lowered back to ground level.

"That was very impressive, Gray-san, Lucy-san." Wendy greeted.

"I thought you were working the infirmary, today?" Lucy asked, hopping off of the platform.

"I am, but I'm here to check you guys over." The Sky Dragon Slayer informed with a kind grin.

"I see. Thanks, then." Lucy replied gratefully, rubbing at the forming bruise on her arm sheepishly.

"As pretty as you are dangerous." Gray complimented with a chuckle.

"Like a rose, wouldn't you say?" A suave voice asked.

In a flashy sparkle of light, Loke appeared with a red rose in hand, offering it to his key owner.

"An excuse to come out and enjoy the carnival, no doubt." Lucy laughed; accepting the rose with the hand Wendy wasn't working on.

"Nonsense, princess." Leo said. "Watching you battle was the most beautiful work of art I've ever seen. Every performer in the land should be jealous."

"You haven't changed." Gray commented, greeting the Celestial Spirit with a fist bump.

Lucy sighed while Wendy giggled lightly.

* * *

Max idly watched people go in and out of the guild's foyer. He shifted his eyes to peer over at Warren's stall. Non-wizards eagerly took the nonsensical quiz. It was similar to the quizzes found in magazines – attractive, but nothing factual.

Mirajane's voice, once again, echoed across the courtyard. With nothing else to do, the Sand wizard took inventory. The little figures were a hit, like usual. He'd have to go get more Gray figures soon. Max figured the ladies liked the mysterious, somewhat silent type.

"Excuse me?" A light voice called out.

Max looked up from his work in the back of the store. "Welcome, welcome. What can I get for you?" The Sand wizard asked. The woman was delicate looking with bright, light purple eyes and short, platinum blonde hair. She wore a cloak with the hood partially up. Max hid his curiosity. Who wore that to a carnival?

"I was told that you are taking job requests?" She replied softly, placing a sheet of paper on the counter.

"Of course. We'll contact you if someone accepts this."

The woman backed up, bowing slightly before leaving as silently as she came. When she blended into the crowd, Max looked down to read the mission. He raised an eyebrow, looking back up to try and catch another glimpse of the woman.

* * *

"Gray!" Natsu yelled over the crowd. The Ice Make wizard suddenly found the pink haired maniac up close and personal. "Garbage?! Don't you think that was a bit much?"

"Gungnir." Gray corrected dryly. "Lucy and I said we weren't going easy on each other." Though he said this, Gray knew his full power wasn't put into the spell. Neither of them had put much damaging power to into their attacks, anyways. It was supposed to be a flashy show, after all.

"It was fun." Lucy interrupted with a smile, hoping to hold Natsu's protective side in place.

"I guess you did get a few good slugs in on the icy bastard, here." Natsu relented with a snicker.

Gray rolled his eyes, about to go back to his assigned stall. "Hey! Why did you burn down my ice rink?!"

"Maybe you burned it down, 'cause I didn't do it." Natsu scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Why would I do that?" Gray growled, the two males' faces getting closer.

"Or maybe it exploded on its own because it realized you were its maker." Natsu said lowly.

"Uh… actually Nastu-nii…" Romeo trailed off.

Lucy shook her head in amusement. She patted Romeo's head as she made her way to the ladder up to the platform on the top of her aquarium. She saw Loke chatting with Aquarius through the thick glass.

"Is everything all right here, Juvia?" The blonde asked when she made it to the top. She noticed a line forming by the dressing room in the back of the tank. The Water wizard popped her head out of the water.

"Yes, Lucy-san. There are nine people inside, at the moment, with ten minutes left." Juvia informed. "Though Juvia does not like that you hurt my Gray-sama, he is smiling. So, Juvia congratulates you on a fun sparring session."

"Thanks… I think?"

* * *

…A Few Hours Later…

* * *

"Lucy! I'm starving! Take your break with me!" Natsu yelled upwards to his girlfriend.

"Okay!" Lucy replied. "Give us seven more minutes for these people to finish what they paid for."

Natsu shrugged, making another fireball and doing tricks with it. Romeo added his purple flare, making it bigger and prettier.

"Juvia thought Lucy-san said we had scheduled breaks." Juvia questioned. Her arms were leaning on the platform at the edge.

"Ours is in fifteen minutes. I drilled it into Natsu's head earlier." Lucy giggled sinisterly. "With the threat of not taking a mission of his choosing, he learned pretty quickly."

"Juvia sees. And Gray-sama?"

"With us, of course. This whole block goes on break at the same time. It forces people to go somewhere else to explore and then come back."

Juvia nodded in understanding.

" _What a match this is turning out to be, folks!"_ Chapati Lola's voice echoed throughout the city once again.

"Who is battling, again?" Lucy wondered, looking above the buildings at the large lacrima vision.

"Bickslow-san and Nab-san." Juvia replied.

"It's rare to see Nab fight." The blonde trailed off. "Animal Possession versus Human Possession. Hm…"

The two women fell into comfortable silence. Aquarius sat at the bottom all day, playing around with the fish. Apparently, the moody Celestial Spirit had a soft spot for pretty fish. A soft alarm went off, making the two of them turn to the little lacrima clock sitting on top of the money collection box.

"Juvia will retrieve our guests." The Water wizard said, letting go of the platform and diving back under. Lucy nodded, standing up to begin closing up shop for the next hour. Flipping a switch, a dome started to appear above the aquarium. The Celestial wizard stopped it halfway so their guests could get out.

The blonde gathered up their moneybox and clock in her arms as she yelled into the water, "Aquarius! Break time! Do you want to come to lunch with us?"

"If you buy." The Celestial Spirit said as she broke the surface.

"Of course." Lucy said with a knowing shake of her head. "Mira! Let's go!" A cute, coral colored fish with a tiny, white-haired ponytail came up to platform. She jumped out of the water, transforming in midair – returning to her natural form. "I can't believe no one has found you, yet." Lucy commented.

"I can't believe no one thought it was strange that a fish had hair." Aquarius mumbled under her breath.

* * *

…6:30 PM…

* * *

" _This is the final match of the day, ladies and gentlemen!"_ Chapati Lola announced. _"After 7 PM, all stalls run by Fairy Tail members will be closed. But the fun won't stop yet! Everything else will be open until 10 PM."_

"Almost time to close already?" Lucy asked, hanging onto the side of the platform as she floated in the aquarium. After lunch, it was her turn to manage the water area of their attraction. Now, the Water wizard handled the payment and diving equipment.

"We still have tomorrow and the day after, Lucy-san." Juvia reminded.

"Yeah," The blonde sighed. Today was tiring enough – especially with the added exhibition battles.

" _And here is the pair! Natsu Dragneel versus Alzack Connell!"_

"That's a bit…" Lucy trailed off uneasily.

"All right!" The Fire Dragon Slayer yelled, jumping up in the air in excitement. "It's finally my turn!"

"Dangerous." Lucy finished with a sigh. A sharpshooter versus a reckless pyromaniac wasn't the best combination. She just hoped that Alzack didn't use magic bullets that were flammable.

In a blink of an eye, Natsu was gone, leaving Romeo to tend to the fire show all by himself. Sure, the young Conbolt had a plethora of colorful fires to use, but all by himself? Romeo supposed that the show must go on.

* * *

"I've been waiting for this all day." Natsu chuckled. He was standing on the battle platform as it slowly rose into the sky.

"That's not a surprise." Alzack replied with a laugh of his own.

"I'm not going easy on you."

"Not expecting you to."

The platform jolted to a stop. The Guns magic wizard put his hand on the gun at his belt. Natsu got into a ready stance, his hands making a fist.

" _All right! Fifteen minutes are on the clock. Competitors, are you ready?"_ Chapati yelled into the microphone. The two Fairy Tail wizards found themselves nodding. _"Then let the battle begin!"_

"You can do it, daddy! You can beat Natsu!" Asuka yelled from ground level. Her high-pitched voice becoming softer as it travelled through the air.

"Guns Magic: Spark Shot!" Alzack yelled, swiftly pulling out his gun from his holster. The electrical bullet speared through the air.

The Fire Dragon Slayer dodged the shot, jumping high into the air. Natsu noted that the shot was accurate and quick. He expected no less. Natsu briefly peered down at the little girl staring at the screen with admiration.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

* * *

"Natsu totally lost." Lucy giggled behind her hand.

"What makes you say that, Lucy-san?" Juvia asked.

"Natsu can't disappoint little Asuka."

* * *

"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" Natsu yelled, sending a barrage of fire at the platform.

"Guns Magic: Mud Shot!"

The fire was smothered in the mud, spluttering out and leaving behind smoke.

"Not bad." Natsu chuckled, landing behind the Guns magic wizard and sending a flaming kick to Alzack's back.

Alzack grunted at the impact, but lessened the momentum by summersaulting forward and landing on his heels. "Not bad, yourself."

"Roar!"

The father-of-one aimed his gun to the ground, firing it off. Steam covered the fighting area.

"Guns Magic: Omnidirectional Expansion." Alzack yelled out. The Fire Dragon Slayer looked around him, watching as multiple guns surrounded him and fired off.

" _What a final show!"_ Chapati Lola cried out.

"Yay!" Asuka cheered. The flying lacrima camera flew around to record the young girl jumping in joy. Her father had outsmarted Natsu!

" _Now isn't that precious?"_ Chapati sighed happily. His soft spot for young children warmed with delight. _"Asuka Connell, Alzack Connell's daughter, is cheering her father on!"_

The platform buckled as it began descending. The smoke cleared away slowly, revealing Natsu sitting on the ground, shaking his head as if to rid his aches and pain away. Alzack offered a hand up, as the battle arena clicked into position on ground level.

"You did it!" Asuka shouted, hopping over to the stage. Alzack jumped down from the platform before kneeling and picking up his daughter.

"Sure did." Alzack chuckled, looking over Asuka's shoulder to mouth a thank you to Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer gave him a thumb's up and a wide grin.

" _In about fifteen minutes, we will be saying goodnight to Fairy Tail for today. But there's one more surprise in store and it's happening at seven o'clock in Southgate Park. You don't want to miss the chance to meet these incredible wizards, folks."_ Chapati concluded enthusiastically.

"There is?" Natsu asked. Alzack shrugged in reply.

As if he heard the question, Warren used his magic to inform all of the guild members to meet at Southgate Park after they close and lock up their booths. Natsu waved to his Fairy Tail family members and walked back towards his designated street.

"Natsu-nii, I packed up our guitar case." Romeo informed.

"Great." The Fire Dragon Slayer said, patting the Purple Flare wizard on the head.

"Lucy-nee and Juvia-nee are locking up the changing rooms in the back and Gray-nii is putting the ice skates in their locker."

"Where do we put this?" Natsu questioned, taking hold of the guitar case.

"With me." Lucy said, walking towards the duo. She took the case and began to strap it onto her back, however Natsu took it back, swinging the case over his own shoulder. The Celestial mage scowled up at his taller stature while he playfully scowled back and lightly laid a quick kiss on her forehead.

Romeo blushed lightly, looking away.

Gray scoffed, crossing his arms, "Come on, lovebirds, Master called us to the park."

"I'll take that." Lucy added, motioning towards Gray's money container. He easily handed it over. The blonde then sent the object to temporarily be placed into her Re-quip inventory. "Let's go see what Master has up his sleeves."

* * *

…

* * *

Lucy let out a deep breath. On one hand, she couldn't believe that Master had cooked up this plan. On the other hand, maybe she could. A huge banner hung across the entrance to the park saying: _Fairy Tail Silent Date Auction._

Pictures of every guild member hung from moveable walls with a sign up sheet under each one. The huge Ferris wheel casually operated nearby, the lights in the middle displaying the word 'Auction.'

"We were left out." Natsu commented, slinging his arm over his girlfriend's shoulders after his inspection of the pictures.

"Master left out the couples." Bisca informed, walking over hand-in-hand with Alzack. Asuka eagerly bounced around her parents. "And Romeo and Wendy."

"Why me, too?" Wakaba moaned, his posture slouching.

"You have a wife, don't you?" Lucy asked incredulously.

The Fire Dragon Slayer shook his head. He was a one-woman kind of guy. He couldn't even think about another girl besides Lucy.

"And a kid." Alzack and Bisca added together.

"Wakaba has a kid?" Natsu and Lucy asked in surprise.

"A daughter around Romeo's age, actually." Bisca commented.

"Why haven't we ever met her?" Lucy questioned, turning to the Smoke wizard.

"Probably because he's still trying to convince her not to join Twilight Ogre." Alzack laughed.

"What'd you do to make her want to join them?" Natsu asked, inching away from Wakaba, slowly bringing Lucy with him.

"Nothing!" Wakaba defended.

"Juvia wants a date with Gray-sama!" The Water wizard cried. The group looked over.

"Juvia, you can't bid." Levy sighed. "Master said we couldn't."

"You get free dates with the guy anyways." Jet commented under his breath, crossing his arms.

"This is dumb." Gajeel grumbled, slouching on the ground.

"It must be nice to have someone so devoted to you." Erza commented, looking to her teammate. Gray scoffed in return, turning away. The Re-quip wizard hid a small laugh.

Master Makarov said that they were free to enjoy the rest of the carnival once they found out what the auction was. However, most of the members were hanging around, curious if they would get any bidders.

"Macao is really trying hard." Droy observed. The group turned to look at the elder wizard. Romeo was beside his father, shaking his head. Macao was trying various poses to look dashing and desirable.

"Natsu!" Happy cried, sluggishly flying towards his partner. "Natsu!"

"What is it, buddy?" The Fire Dragon Slayer asked, walking over to the group with Lucy still under his arm.

"I'm up for one-day pet auction." The blue Exceed whimpered.

"People actually bid for that?" Lucy asked.

"You're so cruel, Lucy!" Happy cried harder. "I'm cute!"

"Now look what you've done." Gray snickered. He didn't notice Juvia inching up to him.

Lucy huffed. She could never win with the cat. "Anyways, do you guys have the money you made today? I'm in charge of collecting it all."

"Did we make a lot on the first day, Lu-chan?" Levy asked, handing over her container.

"You'd have to ask Master, Levy-chan." The Celestial wizard admitted. "He just put me in charge of collecting."

"You're scary today." Jet grumbled. "You're like a debt collector."

"What? No I'm not. I'm never scary." Lucy denied.

"That's a lie." Natsu and Happy said together with straight faces. The blonde gasped, gaping at her boyfriend.

"What a charmer." Levy giggled.

"I'm going to go see Master." Lucy sighed in defeat. Natsu snickered, following her silently. Happy started to slowly follow the couple, but his tail was grabbed and held back by Gray.

"Don't you want to guard Charle from the people bidding on pets?" The Ice Make wizard asked.

The blue Exceed stared at his teammate. "I know the drill." He sighed. "Charle! Gray said to guard you!"

"I don't need a guard!" Charle countered from afar.

"Juvia needs a guard, Gray-sama." The Water wizard insisted, pushing her side against his side. Said man couldn't help but sigh.

* * *

"Come on, I thought you were cool, Suzu." A boy commented. Two other boys beside him nodded their heads.

"Who are you to tell me if I'm cool or not?" Suzu disputed, crossing her arms.

"Those Fairies can't stay on top forever. Twilight Ogre is where it's at."

"Why should I join you anyways?"

"You told your pops you would join us instead of Fairy Tail when they were considered junk, didn't you?" The boy scoffed. "You _wanted_ to."

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind." She huffed, turning her head away. Her light brown hair swayed with the motion.

"Maybe you belong with trash." He chortled. "Your magic is awful, just like your father's."

"Take that back!" Suzu growled.

"Oh, I'm so scared." The boy said sarcastically. He and his friends laughed in amusement. The girl clenched her fists.

"And what kind of job is 'Master's Assistant?'" Another boy asked, clutching his stomach from laughing so hard. "That's pathetic! There were only, like, five people in that guild, and that's the best he could do?"

"I said take it back!" She yelled. "Say what you want about me, but don't you say anything about my dad!"

"He's garbage, Suzu. It's time you realized that." The first boy mocked. "Join Twilight Ogre with us. We'll teach you a better magic."

"All magic is good. You just have to work on it." Suzu argued.

"Did Fairy Tail tell you that? Bold face lie, that's for sure."

"Oh, really?" She asked. "That's why Twilight Ogre has never won the Grand Magic Games, right?"

"We're waiting for the perfect time." The boy said as if it were obvious, rolling his eyes.

"Perfect time? You mean when Master Banaboster isn't petrified of Fairy Tail anymore?" Suzu replied.

"Master Banaboster isn't afraid of anyone!" The boy hissed, the skin on his fisted hands turning into jagged rock.

"Doubtful." She huffed in amusement. Suzu's eyes roamed over the three boys who she thought were her friends. Their immature magic charged around them. She couldn't help but swallow a nervous lump as she gathered her own untrained magic.

* * *

"We don't have to count this, do we?" Natsu asked, dropping his guitar case to the ground unceremoniously.

"Nope. Master just said to drop this stuff off in his office." Lucy replied, taking out all of the moneyboxes from her Re-quip inventory. She stretched her back muscles, as though putting down the containers was physical weight off of her shoulders.

"Tired?" He asked, messaging her shoulders. "You have been swimming for a while."

"Your hands are warm." She hummed in delight.

"You're just cold."

Natsu shook his head. The girl needed to take better care of herself. He leaned down, lightly placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Natsu." She complained lightly.

"No one's here to see." He retorted, moving to the corner of her lips. "It'll be fine. C'mon, just a little?"

Grudgingly – not really – Lucy turned her head, meeting his lips with hers. The Fire Dragon Slayer lightly nipped on her bottom lip with his elongated canines. She raised her hand, cupping his cheek while his hands continued to message her shoulders.

"We shouldn't do this here." She whispered.

"Says who?" Natsu chuckled.

"We're in Master's office."

"So?"

She couldn't help but smile, her lips brushing against his. "Bad." Lucy chastised, pulling away and swatting at his chest. He shrugged in reply, putting his hands behind his head in a lazy manner.

"Can we get some food?"

Lucy agreed, doing one last count of the moneyboxes. She took a look at Master's desk discreetly. Now was not the time. The two of them walked downstairs, passing through Freed's Runes. Natsu stopped, lowering his arms.

"What is it?" The blonde questioned.

A young girl ran through the front gates. She briefly looked the couple over, eyeing their visible guild marks. The girl swallowed her pride and ran beside Lucy. Three boys came up to the gate.

"Uh…" One of the boys said uncertainly, stopping in his tracks.

"They're part of Fairy Tail." Another boy whispered to their leader.

"What are you runts doing?" Natsu asked, stepping forward and crouching beside the young ones.

The boys nervously fidgeted.

"You weren't bullying her, were you?" Lucy stepped in next, authority in her voice.

"Sh-She insulted Twilight Ogre!" The leader boy bravely piped up.

"You insulted my father!" The young girl retorted.

"I'm not against fighting," Natsu said, standing up to tower over the boys with a grin. "But three against one isn't very fair."

"Two wrongs don't make a right, Natsu." The Celestial wizard sighed, lightly pushing the girl's back to move her in front of the boys. "Apologize to each other."

"Why should-" The boy started to argue; however a glare from Lucy stopped him in his tracks. "S-Sorry for calling your dad garbage."

Lucy silently gaped.

The young girl stubbornly looked away, "Sorry for insulting your guild."

"You don't actually think that did something, do you?" The Fire Dragon Slayer whispered in his girlfriend's ear.

"Better than encouraging them to fight." Lucy argued back.

The three boys looked at each other curiously.

"We're going home." The leader kid said, bowing with the other boys before quickly scurrying off.

"Um," The girl muttered. The two Fairy Tail wizards turned to look at their new friend. "Thank you."

"No problem, runt." Natsu said with a grin, ruffling her hair. "We all have to fight for the people we care about."

"What are you doing here?" Lucy questioned softly.

"Dad always says that Fairy Tail is a safe place to go." The girl admitted sheepishly.

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia," The Celestial mage said. "Who are you?"

"Suzu Mine."

"That's why you smell like the old man." Natsu said in realization. Lucy shook her head. "We were just talking about you!"

"Come on, we'll take you to your father." The blonde insisted.

* * *

…

* * *

"Suzu, what are you doing with these guys?" Wakaba asked.

"She came running into the guildhall." Lucy informed.

"Got into a fight." Natsu added, almost proudly.

"Suzu," Wakaba scolded. "What were you thinking?"

"Sorry, dad." The young girl muttered.

"Don't give her such a hard time." Lucy giggled.

"She's already one of us." The Fire Dragon Slayer said, grinning.

"You should take her around the carnival." The Celestial wizard suggested. She turned to walk away with Natsu's hand clutched in hers. "It'll mean more to her than you think."


	41. Ladies' Club

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Forty-One: Ladies' Club

* * *

"So tired." Lucy sighed, dropping her head onto Natsu's shoulder. The Fire Dragon Slayer jostled slightly, looking over to the woman.

"It wasn't that bad." He commented, popping a whole muffin in his mouth.

"Aye, Lucy. Maybe you should exercise with us more." Happy snickered. The blue Exceed made sure to sit just far enough out of reach from the blonde.

Lucy whimpered, suppressing the urge to throttle the little cat. She turned her forehead to lean against Natsu's strong shoulder.

The carnival had finally come and gone. Magnolia celebrated the last day with grand fireworks. Of course, the wizards of Fairy Tail worked overtime to, not only, manage their entertainment booths, but also to create a memorable magic show. It turned out to be much like the Harvest Festival – which comes up in a few weeks. Lucy oversaw everything, running from place to place like a headless chicken. The blonde swore she memorized every inch of the city, by now.

Currently, the three of them were sitting in the guild. Although, it was early, it was abnormally devoid of wizards.

"When does Aquarius want that vacation with Scorpio?" Natsu asked.

"Next weekend." She replied, putting minimal effort into eating her own breakfast muffin.

"Are you too tired to go on a job, Lucy?" A woman asked from behind the group.

"Morning, Lisanna." Happy greeted.

"A job?" The Celestial wizard repeated.

"I'm up for a job." Natsu piped up.

Lisanna giggled lightly, "Sorry, Natsu. It's a women only kind of job."

"How come?" Lucy inquired.

"You know how Gentlemen's Clubs run, don't you?" The Take-Over mage questioned.

"You want us to be-! To do-! Lisanna!" Lucy gasped.

"No!" The white haired woman yelled with a blush. "We got a mission to work in a Ladies' Club!"

"So?" Natsu asked.

"We were asked to be hidden guards, so we'll be acting as guests." Lisanna said.

"What's a Gentlemen's Club? What's a Ladies' Club? Is there one for cats?" Happy asked, gnawing on a fish.

"It's where people strip and cater to their guests." The Fire Dragon Slayer said nonchalantly. "Gray would blend right in."

"So women strip in Ladies' Clubs?" The Exceed questioned next.

"The other way around. The guests would be women – probably – and men strip in a Ladies' Club." Natsu replied.

"Are we really having this conversation?" Lucy asked dryly.

"Hm," Lisanna hummed. "So are you in? Most of us are going."

"They need that many guards?" The blonde queried.

"The flyer says as many as possible." The Take-Over wizard replied with a shrug.

"Where'd we get this mission from, anyways?" Lucy probed.

"Max said some pretty woman dropped it off during the carnival the first day." Lisanna replied. "It has a pretty good reward, enough for us to split it nicely."

The Celestial mage hummed in thought and glanced towards her boyfriend. Was he okay with this? It didn't look like it bothered him. He was still explaining the concept to Happy casually. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Do what you want to." Natsu said with a grin. "I'll even walk you home so you can pack for the trip."

"Then I'm in, I guess." Lucy said to Lisanna.

"Great! We leave later today. Meet here by five, okay?" The Take-Over wizard informed. "I'll go tell Mira-nee."

* * *

"It was certainly odd that they didn't contact us, but I never expected this." Master Bob commented warily.

"What do you propose we do, Master?" Hibiki asked.

"Ichiya-sama isn't getting any response after using his Healing Parfum." Eve informed, jogging lightly towards the duo.

"I can't locate Master Goldmine, either." Ren added.

Bob let out a frustrated breath, putting a hand to his cheek. "We'll have to call Mackey and Porlyusica. First, let's bring everyone here to our guild."

"I'll tell Jenny to bring Christina down." Hibiki said, putting two fingers to his temple.

"Ren-kun, you should call Sherry-chan. Ask her if her guild has seen anything suspicious." Master Bob suggested.

"Of course." Ren replied stoically. He used his air magic to gently lift as many unconscious Quatro Cerberus members as possible. He then slowly brought them into Christina, Blue Pegasus' Magic Bomber, as the ship soared as close as possible to the ruined guildhall.

* * *

"We were too late, Master." Rufus said, holding a small communication lacrima in his hand.

"Damn." Sting replied on the other side.

"We can't seem to wake anyone up, either."

The White Dragon Slayer let out a frustrated huff. "I'll call a magic mobile company and have them send over a big enough van to carry everyone back to our guild."

"And Rogue's group? Any word?" Rufus asked. He walked over to his guild mate, helping his friend gather all of the unconscious wizards.

"Nothing yet."

"Perhaps no news is good news." Rufus suggested.

"Maybe." Sting trailed off. "Keep in touch. I'll contact you if we get another SOS from any other guild."

"Be careful, Sting."

"You guys, too."

* * *

"Have everything?" Natsu asked casually, leaning back in Lucy's armchair.

"Seven evening outfits, a set of pajamas, seven casual outfits, shoes, toiletries, accessories, a jacket, my wallet…" Lucy listed, eyeing all of the things laid out on her bed. "I think that's everything."

"And how are you going to put all of that in _that_ suitcase?" He questioned, eyeing the rather small pink luggage.

Lucy hummed in thought. "I think there's a bigger version in my closet." She attacked her closet once more, stepping through the entryway and disappearing inside. Natsu waited in boredom. She had done this same act with most of her outfits. It was adorable the first few times, but that had been almost two hours ago. "Here it is!" Lucy yelled in triumph, pushing out a pink suitcase. The empty baggage tumbled to the ground with a loud, hallow thump. The landlady was going to kick the girl out for sure.

"You staying at a hotel?"

"Yep." She replied, carefully packing all of her stuff. "Lisanna said we have a whole floor to ourselves for the entire seven days that the mission lasts."

"You should bring back as many of those little chocolates as possible. You know, the ones that magically appear on your pillow every morning."

"You're developing a sweet tooth."

"Am not." Natsu scoffed.

"You usually ask for some kind of fiery food." She reminded.

"It's your fault, then. You have me eating all of these sweets." He sighed, patting his stomach.

"You should take it up with Erza before blaming me." Lucy tittered lightly, closing her suitcase snugly and zipping it up.

"Done?" Natsu asked, getting up from his seat. The blonde hummed affirmatively, heaving the heavy luggage off of her bed. The Fire Dragon Slayer took the handle from her hand, carrying the baggage to her front door.

"Thanks." She said gratefully, following close behind. Lucy was quietly confused as the man turned around to stare at her. She gasped.

Natsu pushed her into the wall, trapping her body with his. His hand curled into her hair, having protected her head from any accidental bumps. He brought his face in close. Lucy couldn't help but blush. Their hips pressed together intimately. Slowly, Natsu lowered his lips to meet with hers. The kiss was slow, sensual. Soft. The affection the two held for each other was in the open.

They broke for air briefly before showing each other, again, how much they wanted to be in that very moment. Lucy crept her hands from his torso to wind her arms around his neck. Natsu pulled her away from the wall, sliding his hands to her waist and lifting her up to be moved. She squeaked in protest, moving her hands to balance herself on his shoulders. Lucy debated whether to wrap her legs around his waist or not.

Before she knew it, Natsu dropped her onto the bed, kneeling over her with a chuckle. "You're not thinking of doing anything perverted while you're away, are you?" He leaned down, brushing his lips lightly on her neck.

"Nothing you wouldn't do." She countered in a whisper, tilting her head slightly.

"Counting on that."

* * *

"Happy, by yourself today?" Max asked, watching the blue Exceed fly with a large bag filled to the brim with fish.

"Yeah! Natsu is helping Lucy pack for her mission. She said to watch after her apartment while she's away, so I'm stocking up." Happy replied excitedly.

"I did hear that most of the girls were going on that one week job." Alzack added, carrying his own armful of grocery bags. "Even Bisca is going."

"You know they're going to a sexy club, right?" The Exceed asked innocently.

"I'm well aware." Alzack chuckled. "One thing about love is that you trust each other."

"Oh. Well, I suppose we trust Lucy, but she is kind of weird, sometimes." Happy replied slowly.

"Couldn't agree with you more." Max joked.

"What are you guys here for?" The Exceed asked next, eyeing the grocery bags.

"Mira and Kinana sent us out grocery shopping for the guild. Says we'll need to take care of ourselves while they're away." The Sand wizard said with a shrug.

"Is a sexy club really that fun?" Happy questioned.

Max gave Alzack a _look_. Though the Guns wizard just shook his head. He had a beautiful wife and daughter waiting at home.

"I wonder who'll be left at the guild." Alzack pondered.

* * *

"Ren?" Sherry asked curiously when she answered the communication lacrima.

"Are you all right? Not that I was worried, or anything." The Air wizard said with a flip of his hair.

"Your form of love is so endearing." Sherry replied with a blissful sigh. "Nothing is wrong here."

"You should be careful." He suggested.

"You, too. Are you at Blue Pegasus? Is there anything wrong with Quatro Cerberus?"

Ren paused, looking worriedly to the side. "Master Goldmine is missing and the others aren't awakening."

"I'll inform Master Ooba right away. Will I see you at home?"

"Of course. It's much more comfortable sleeping there than at the guild."

* * *

"Is everyone here and ready to go?" Mira asked, counting all of the women present.

"I don't think they'll have room for any guests when we get there." Lisanna giggled.

"Okay, girls, say your goodbyes. We'll be back in a week." Mira announced, patting her brother on the arm. "Take care of the house while we're away."

"That's what a man does, nee-san." Elfman replied.

"Well see you guys later." Lucy said to the remainder of her team.

"Have fun." Gray commented nonchalantly with a wave of his hand.

"Juvia will miss Gray-sama." The Water wizard sighed, clinging onto his arm for as long as possible.

"Let go, woman." Gray complained, though he didn't scoot across the bench to get away.

"No fighting while we're away." Erza commanded in a stern voice.

"Just don't destroy our guild." Lucy compromised.

"Aye!" Happy shouted. The Celestial mage sighed. That was never a good sign.

Near the front, the group watched in veneration as Bisca kissed her daughter and then shared a short, sweet kiss with Alzack.

"Aren't you going to show your goodbye to Natsu?" Levy asked, turning to the Celestial mage.

"Kiss him." Lisanna drawled out playfully. The comment brought out the immature side of the members as most of them chanted jovially.

Lucy blushed madly, hiding her cheeks behind her hand. Erza blushed as well, nodding her head in agreement with their guild mates.

"Don't kiss me!" Gray yelled, holding Juvia at arms length.

Natsu seemed unaffected, crossing his arms as he cocked his head slightly. He leaned back slightly as Lucy appeared close to him. She whispered a farewell and grabbed his scarf. She put the fabric in front of his mouth. Natsu felt the pressure of her lips but tasted the cloth rather than her usual sweet taste.

Oblivious to the couple, the bolder guild members hooted.

Lucy pulled away with a blush, finally hearing all of the cheering. Natsu stuck his tongue out, cringing. Maybe he should start washing his scarf once in a while.

"Let's get going, shall we?" The Re-quip wizard coughed.

The group of ten girls said their last farewells, making their way out the door. The remaining men looked at each other and shrugged.

"What's the mission anyways?" Natsu questioned, plopping down at Gray's table.

"You never asked Lucy?" Happy asked in return. The Fire Dragon Slayer shrugged.

"They're going to be guards, aren't they?" Gray inquired next, looking towards the others to see if anyone else knew anything.

"Some political figure from the country of Seven and her friends are going to be visiting." Max answered. "Something about a good relationship with the owner of the club and showing Seven-ers a good time in Fiore."

"Where'd you get this job from, anyways?" Macao asked.

"A strange, but pretty, girl came by during the carnival." The Sand wizard replied.

"Strange?" Alzack questioned.

"She had a cloak on. It was blazing hot out that first day, so I doubt she wore it to be warm." Max said.

"You sure this job was okay?" Droy asked worriedly.

"I'm sure they're fine. They're together." Max spoke up.

The men shrugged and began to laze around the guild. With the carnival having just ended, the Fairy Tail wizards wanted to use the remainder of the day to relax. One day of slacking off never hurt anyone.

Natsu suddenly awoke from his nap, sitting up abruptly from the bench he was laying on. "Now that I think about it, where's Wendy?"

"Master needed some man power." Elfman responded, looking up from his place behind the bar counter. The Take-Over wizard raised an eyebrow.

"Man power?" Gray asked skeptically, absently twirling a marker in his hand.

"He needed Wendy's help with something." Pantherlily clarified, flying over with a kiwi and Gajeel. The black Exceed paused in front of Natsu. "You got a little something… everywhere."

"Gi-hee, didn't know you were into face art, Salamander." Gajeel chuckled.

Natsu cocked his head in confusion. Happy retrieved a mirror that Mira kept under the bar counter and placed it in front of his partner.

"Gray!" Natsu growled, standing up and slamming his hands down on the table.

"What, fiery bastard?" Gray yelled back, also standing up.

"Hey, I came to ask you something, Salamander." Gajeel butt in, grabbing Natsu's collar.

The Fire Dragon Slayer swung a fist at Gajeel to loosen the grip before going after his chilly rival. Soon enough, the group tumbled their way around the guild, dragging their unsuspecting friends into the fray.

"That didn't last long." Happy commented, flying high above the group.

"As expected." Pantherlily sighed.

* * *

"Are you sure leaving your guild is such a good idea at the moment? I heard most of the terrors are away. There will be less people to defend it." Porlyusica commented stoically, peering at the man sitting on the opposite train bench.

"The guild is a gathering place for work. A home away from home, not a military base." Makarov trailed off, staring at the passing scenery.

"But shouldn't we protect our home, Master?" Wendy asked timidly beside the old man. Charle sat quietly in the girl's lap.

"We are." The Titan mage reassured, patting the young girl on the head.

The three of them sat in silence as they rode to their destination. Soon, the group found themselves in a quiet town. Jenny Realight, presumably their escort, approached them.

"Bob didn't need to send an attendant." Makarov greeted jokingly.

"He said to reply with: better safe than sorry." Jenny greeted back. "Master Makarov, I hope you and your group had a pleasant journey here."

"Yes, it is too bad that we had to visit for this reason." Makarov sighed. "Any changes since Bob last contacted us?"

"None as of yet." The Take-Over wizard replied, leading them out of the train station. They made small talk on their journey to the guild. The light pink building with wings sprouting from the sides quickly came into view.

"Bob, how are you?" Makarov asked as the flamboyant guild master of Blue Pegasus walked out from the back to greet them in the main room.

"Mackey, good to see you. I wish things are better." Bob replied with a dismayed sigh and a worried hand to his cheek. "Porlyusica, long time no see."

"Likewise." Fairy Tail's medical advisor said.

"I have missed you. You should come visit." Bob suggested, trying to bring the woman in for a hug.

"Feelings mutual, I suppose." Porlyusica grumbled, letting her long time friend hug her for just a few milliseconds before stepping far out of the way.

"Ah, you still hate human contact, don't you?" Bob laughed. He absently dismissed Jenny from her duty with a wave of his hand. "And Wendy and Charle, it's a big help that you're joining us."

Wendy and Charle nodded in reply, warily watching as the Trimens bounced over with refreshments.

"Let's go see to our patients." Makarov said, suddenly serious. Master Bob silently agreed, leading the group towards the back rooms and infirmary. "No sign of Goldmine, yet?"

"None." Bob exhaled, opening up one of the doors. "Here's Bacchus and Nobarly. They were found in the infirmary, though they're in the same condition as the others. I suspect Magic Deficiency Disease."

"Magic Deficiency for all of them?" Charle questioned skeptically, flying out of Wendy's arms so the Dragon Slayer could work.

"That's what it looks like, dear." Bob answered.

"What is this smell?" Wendy asked softly, sniffing the air and crinkling her nose cutely. It wasn't necessarily a horrid smell, but it was most definitely overwhelming.

"Ichiya-sama used his healing perfume." Hibiki said from the doorway, holding a tray of drinks. "Regrettably, it didn't have much effect."

Porlyusica twitched her eyebrow in annoyance, going over to the bed ridden wizards. She methodically checked them over before motioning to Wendy.

"Heal any physical wounds." The medical advisor ordered. The Sky Dragon Slayer nodded, getting to work right away.

"Think of something?" Makarov asked.

Porlyusica was silent in thought, reaching for test tubes and beakers that the members of Blue Pegasus had set out prior to them arriving. She went about mixing liquids expertly, carefully reading each label. Once she finished, she tested the product on Nobarly by pouring it slowly into his mouth. The group waited in anticipation.

* * *

Wizards stared warily at the assemblage that boldly entered through their guild doors. The group of four didn't speak as they stopped in the middle of the guildhall.

"Is there something we can do for you, -" Olavo Gage asked in a deep voice, stepping in front of the group with his arms crossed. He carefully eyed their four visitors, focusing on any visible guild insignia or notable scars. "- Fairies?"

"We're here to speak to your master." Freed announced.

"What for?" Olavo asked, nodding his head to a nearby guild mate to get the Master.

"Business." Laxus cut in with a sharp stare.

The two S-Class wizards glared at each other, silently testing the waters. The other wizards of Behemoth Valley hardly shifted, standing at the ready. The Thunder God Tribe eyed the wizards in a bored manner.

"Stand down, everyone." A booming voice said. Everyone turned to look at a rather tall man coming out of the office. "Fairy Tail, what do we owe the pleasure?"

"A warning." Freed said imperturbably.

* * *

"That ended a lot quicker than I thought." Happy said.

"Really? It's already dinner time." Pantherlily replied skeptically.

"Or not." The blue Exceed sighed, watching the others pick themselves up and panting for breath. "No one is here to stop them."

"At least the guild is... mostly intact."

The two of them eyed the stairs leading up to the second floor. What was once a staircase was now a pile of firewood. They were going to have to ask Laki to fix things, again.

"Give up, Salamander." Gajeel exhaled, standing up in a hunched position.

"I'm not losing to you." Natsu scoffed back, grunting as he sat upright.

"You guys are pathetic." Gray goaded even though he was using a broken table as a support.

Happy and Pantherlily sighed together. Gajeel, Natsu, and Gray were the last three standing. Their other guild members having been knocked out all around them. The three of them breathed in ragged pants – bumps and bruises all over their bodies.

Behind the Exceeds, the communication lacrima started to ring. Pantherlily hopped behind the bar counter and answered.

"This is Fairy Tail." The black Exceed said.

"This is Thibault from Twilight Ogre." The man on the other side of the screen replied, almost grudgingly.

"Twilight Ogre?" Happy questioned, walking over to see if it was true. The two Magnolian guilds hardly contacted each other.

"Is there something we can do for you?" Pantherlily asked instead.

Thibault looked away uneasily. "Have you guys seen Master Banaboster?"

"You lost your guild Master?" Happy snickered innocently. The Twilight Ogre wizard twitched with irritation.

"No, your master has not visited us." Lily cut in before an argument started. "He didn't tell anyone where he was going?"

"No one." Thibault sighed. "We haven't seen him in two days."

"We'll keep a look out." Pantherlily assured.

"Aye." Happy agreed. "We'll tell Master when he gets back."

"Sure. Thanks." Thibault said, abruptly closing the communication lacrima link.

"We should tell Natsu." The blue Exceed suggested.

"Gajeel would probably be a better choice." Lily commented evenly.

"No way, Natsu can find their master _easy!_ "

"Gajeel would be the same."

"Well, Natsu-!" Happy stuttered out.

Pantherlily exhaled. He was not going to get dragged further into this childish argument.

"We should get in contact with Master Makarov."

"Aye." Happy relented, knowing that that was the best option.

* * *

"My, there are quite a lot of you." A woman said in a serenely soft voice as she opened the doors wider. She gave the group a sweet smile, her light purple eyes shining and contrasting against her short platinum blonde hair. "Please, come in. We're closed at the moment, so we're free to discuss your job over some dinner."

"Thank you." Erza replied, walking into the building. The other girls followed in afterwards.

The ladies' club was extravagant, to say the least. Being located in the heart of Hargeon, the lavish décor was complimented by the view of the seashore. The club had two floors; upstairs being filled with tables while the first floor had lush couches, a bar, a stage, and various gambling tables. The woman motioned for the Fairy girls to leave their luggage on the first floor before leading them upstairs to be seated. When they were seated, she clapped her hands twice.

"Excuse my rudeness, my name is Marika. I'm the owner of this establishment." The woman said, smiling widely. Shirtless men with toned bodies started walking up the stairs carrying serving platters.

The wizards looked at one another curiously from their seats. The girls took up two circular tables near each other. Marika stood off to the side as her employees served the hired wizards. The men stood around the girls, each unveiling what secrets they held underneath the serving cover simultaneously. Some of the men served the women their dinners while others handed out champagne and water.

Mira took the liberty of introducing the guild members one by one. Marika nodded, pulling out a chair from another table. The half naked men flanked around their employer, patiently waiting for any further orders. Marika motioned for the wizards to enjoy their meal before conducting any business.

After a couple of bites, Erza softly cleared her throat, "About this job request. What will you need us to do?"

"A good friend of mine is a high ranking government official in Seven. She and some of her other political friends are coming to visit. So I need you to guard this place, make sure _nothing_ happens." Marika said seriously. "Some of you will dress and act the part as guests while the others will monitor the outside perimeter. Divide the roles how you see fit."

"Understood." Erza replied with a sagely nod.

"I've booked a nearby hotel for you girls." Marika informed, absently accepting a colorful drink from one of the waiters. "You'll be a floor directly under my friend, so I expect you to be the first responders if you hear anything wrong. Of course, you don't have to be her personal guards. She has her own. You're welcome to do as you please when the club is closed during the daylight hours."

"Thank you." Mirajane piped up, gracefully lifting up her champagne glass. "We will not disappoint you."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** It's getting pretty busy over on my side of the internet, so... yeah haha. I just wanted to say I am really grateful for all of the reviews I have received thus far! However, it is kind of sad the amount of reviews this story gets compared to the amount of people who actually view it xP For chapter 40, only 1.37% of people reviewed. Welp... haha, that's a pretty pathetic number, don't you think? It's true that reviews do help motivate me to write more frequently, but by no means is this some "review or I won't update" kind of thing. It'll be updated when I finish a chapter. I just thought 1.37% was something funny to share. Funny and saddening all at the same time... At least a percent of you guys enjoy the story enough! :D


	42. Eradicate

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Forty-Two: Eradicate

* * *

Gray let out a relieved sigh as he walked into the guild. The others looked at the exhausted Ice Make mage with curiosity. His dress shirt was unbuttoned, hanging loosely on his shoulders. On his cheek was hot pink lipstick in the shape of lips. Gray found the closest table and sat down roughly.

"What happened to you?" Happy asked, walking on the table top with a fish in hand.

"A date." Gray grumbled.

"Looks like you had a good time." Max snickered, looking at the mused hair Gray sported.

"She was nuts." The Ice Make wizard argued with a hiss. "Said something about getting her money's worth."

"Oh, from that carnival thing?" Natsu asked. "I knew you couldn't get a date any other way."

Gray sent an icy glare to his rival. "You're lucky Lucy likes someone so out of her league." Although Natsu retorted with a glare himself, he didn't deny the claim.

"She couldn't be that bad." Max reassured. He had his own scheduled date soon.

"Trust me, it was bad." Gray said with clenched teeth. He looked up, as a cold glass of water was set in front of him.

"It's manly to take a woman out for a good date." Elfman exclaimed proudly.

"Thanks." The Ice wizard drawled out, taking a big gulp of the pristine liquid.

"Why didn't you go home?" Natsu asked.

"And have her and her friends follow me? No thanks." Gray sighed.

"Her friends?" Elfman asked, putting his foot on the bench and leaning his elbow on his knee.

"I was paraded around like a prize." Gray replied.

"Technically, you are the prize." Max snickered.

"We went shopping, to the movies, she had me make a skating rink in the park," Gray listed out, counting with his fingers. "Had a fancy dinner, she took me to meet up with her friends…"

Natsu looked over to the other two men. None of them were listening any longer.

* * *

Lucy sat on a lush couch with an almost bored look on her face. Her leg was crossed over the other while one arm was laid across her lap. She looked around, absently swirling the glass of champagne in her hand. The liquid gold jostled in its motion as someone sat next to her.

"You seem uninterested." Erza commented. The woman was as decked out and glamorous as ever. As expected.

"It was fun the first three days – now, not so much." The Celestial wizard admitted.

"You're sounding a lot like Natsu." Erza laughed. "Looking for a reckless situation."

"Am not." Lucy denied with a pout.

"Would you like to switch roles with Cana? She looks like she's been having a great time at the gambling tables."

"Cana is a master at cards." Lucy laughed lightly. "Of course she's having fun. Especially with all of the booze."

"I suppose you're right." Erza chuckled as well. The Re-quip wizard paused for just a minute, reveling in the club like music reverberating in the building. "You know, I'm surprised Natsu let you come without complaint. I would've thought he'd ask you for compensation for letting you go on such a… risqué job."

Lucy blushed prettily, avoiding her friend's eyes. If Erza considered kisses and some touching compensation, then Natsu did ask for some. She coughed, steering the conversation somewhere else. "Any word from the girls outside?"

"Bisca hasn't reported anything from her vantage point."

"Anything from upstairs?" The Celestial wizard asked, sipping her drink.

"Just the usual."

Lucy peered at her friend curiously, hearing the hitch in Erza's tone.

"You want to eat the desserts being served up there, don't you?" Erza didn't reply. Instead, the woman stared into her lap sheepishly. Lucy tipped her champagne flute to the red head. "Maybe this will hold you over?"

"We shouldn't be drinking on the job." The Re-quip mage reprimanded. She took the glassware and drank the golden liquid in a single mouthful.

"You say that…"

As though they were being waited on, a shirtless entertainer appeared beside the duo with a tray full of drinks. He gently plucked the empty champagne flute from Erza's hand and offered the women other drinks. The Re-quip wizard grabbed a martini that matched her hair color while Lucy grasped a fruity mojito. The Celestial mage nodded in thanks, silently dismissing the man.

"You seem unaffected by all of these naked men." Erza commented.

Lucy looked closely at her guild mate, noticing the flush on Erza's cheeks. How many drinks did Erza consume?

"I'm used to Gray's habit... Are you sure you're okay?" The blonde asked slowly.

"I might've slipped something into one of her virgin drinks." Cana chortled, dropping unceremoniously onto the couch.

"No you didn't." Erza denied, flush still present.

"Serious Erza isn't as much fun around here." The Card wizard said, wiggling her eyebrows towards Lucy.

The Celestial mage prayed that nothing happened tonight, no matter how uninterested she was.

* * *

"Any news?" Makarov asked, stepping into the infirmary.

"They're not recovering any magic, Master." Wendy replied.

"Oh dear." Bob sighed worriedly. "It has been four day, already."

"There has to be something that's stopping them from recuperating their magic supply." Charle thought out loud.

"Or something is taking it from them." Porlyusica interrupted, absently mixing another potion.

"Master," Eve called, suddenly appearing at the doorway. "There's an emergency."

"What is it?" Bob questioned, fast walking out of the room with the Snow wizard. Makarov following quickly.

The main bar area had been closed for the past few days to keep the amount of people inside the guildhall to a minimal. At the bar, the group found Ren yelling into a blank communication lacrima. Jenny went over to her distraught guild mate, putting a reassuring hand on his back.

"Sherry!" The Air mage yelled with anxiety laced in his voice.

"What happened?" Bob asked.

"Man." Ichiya drawled out breathily, stepping up to speak. "Sherry-chan called to inform us that Lamia Scale took the emergency call from Mermaid Heel."

"It turns out, the same thing happened to them. Their Master is missing, as well." Hibiki added.

"And Sherry-chan?" Bob inquired.

"There was screaming and a flash of light before the connection cut out." Hibiki informed.

"Ichiya, you and the Trimens will go as quickly as possible to Lamia Scale. Jenny, call in Riko and DeZille. You girls will guard the guildhall with me." Bob instructed.

"Yes, Master." The Blue Pegasus members chorused. Everyone got to work, skittering about and trying not to get in anyone's way.

"I'll call for reinforcements." Makarov informed, about to head back into the infirmary where Fairy Tail's personal communication lacrima resided temporarily.

"They won't make it in time." Bob reminded. "And it'll take too long to pick them up with Christina."

"Wendy!" Makarov called. The young girl and the white Exceed came scampering out from the back room. "Go with them to Lamia Scale."

Wendy's eyes widened, but she quickly composed herself. "Y-Yes, Master. Right away! Come on, Charle."

The white Exceed didn't reply as she dutifully followed her partner outside. Master Bob motioned to Hibiki and Ichiya to escort the girl while silently telling them not to let any harm befall her.

"Let's get to work, then." Makarov said with a heavy sigh. Before all else, they must secure the guild building.

* * *

An eerily soft knock reverberated against the wooden doors. Gajeel raised a metal studded eyebrow, turning his ear towards the sound. The guild was too busy chattering away like young school children in a cafeteria to hear the noise. Gajeel, being the lone wolf he was, sat away from the chaos, inadvertently sitting at a table by the front. The knocking persisted.

"Is something wrong, Gajeel?" Pantherlily asked from his seat on the tabletop.

"Hear that?"

The Exceed fell silent, trying to listen to whatever his partner had heard. Gajeel noticed the knocking noise become something akin to a scraping.

"Your sense of hearing is more acute than mine." Pantherlily informed with defeat.

Gajeel turned his red eyes to look at his oblivious guild mates. The Iron Dragon Slayer got up from his seat, his hands slapping against the table. The smack didn't get anyone's attention. He walked menacingly towards the closed doors, standing in front of them. If the noise from Gajeel's hands hitting the table didn't get the guild's attention, his foot clad in a heavy boot slamming against the door did.

"What do you think you're doing?" Macao complained, hastily putting down his drink and walking over.

"Just open the door normally." Wakaba grunted, puffing out smoke as he talked.

Gajeel didn't reply. He only stared at the slumped figure on the ground just outside the doorway. Macao and Wakaba finally made it to Gajeel's position. The older men paused in surprise at their visitor.

"Hey, are you okay?" Macao asked, kneeling down and putting a hand on the person's shoulder.

"Prepare the infirmary!" Wakaba yelled. Alzack and Reedus heeded the call. The Picto magic wizard was hoisted onto Alzack's shoulder and climbed onto the remaining portions of the staircase.

Macao turned the person over onto their back. "Thibault?"

"What are you doing here? What happened?" Wakaba asked hurriedly.

Elfman came over and stood by the Iron Dragon Slayer. Gajeel crossed his arms and walked back to his table, away from the commotion. Elfman promptly lifted the Twilight Ogre wizard onto his shoulder.

"Ice Make: Stairs!" Gray chanted, standing by the broken pieces of wood.

"Be careful." Happy said, floating around the large Take-Over wizard. Pantherlily joined the other Exceed, vigilantly checking over Thibault.

Once the Twilight Ogre wizard was settled in an infirmary bed, the members of Fairy Tail got to work and left Macao and Wakaba in the room. The duo started asking questions left and right, without pause.

"If you're sick, why'd you come here?" Wakaba asked as Alzack and his daughter came in with a bowl and put a wet cloth on Thibault's forehead.

"A medic." Thibault groaned. "Twilight Ogre…"

"You should drink, mister." Asuka suggested, holding up a glass of water. Her father grinned in appreciation, taking the cup from her. The Twilight Ogre mage greedily drank the liquid.

"You should slow down." Alzack advised.

"What about a medic?" Macao continued to ask.

"Twilight Ogre. We're all like this." Thibault explained, clearing his throat. "The others are unconscious at the guild."

"What's wrong with you all?" Wakaba asked, waving a hand at the doorway to get some of the others.

"We don't know. It feels like our magic is draining from us." Thibault coughed.

"All of you at once?" Macao asked skeptically. "Get Natsu, Gray, and Elfman up here." Wakaba agreed, stepping out of the infirmary to yell from the banister. "How long have you guys been like this?"

"Ginger was the first to really become sick." The Twilight Ogre informed. "But we've all been feeling weaker as the days pass by."

Macao nodded sagely. He turned to the doorway as Wakaba came back with the others.

"What is it?" Gray asked as the group stopped just outside the infirmary.

"You guys go to Twilight Ogre. Assess the situation." Macao instructed.

"Should we bring anyone back?" Natsu asked, looking at Thibault. The Twilight Ogre mage studied the group carefully.

"Is it safe for us to bring the sick here? Maybe we should quarantine them in their own guild." Gray suggested.

"It doesn't look like something contagious." Wakaba commented. Thibault took the moment to cough and promptly follow up with heavy breathing to refill his lungs.

"Not contagious." Natsu and Gray chorused sarcastically.

"Master took Wendy and Porlyusica-san with him." Elfman reminded. "And it's not manly to leave the sick unattended."

Macao gave a frustrated sigh. "Just bring as many as you can here. Elfman's right, we can't just leave them there if they're all like this."

"Gather a couple more people before you leave." Wakaba added.

The three appointed wizards nodded, leaving the fourth master and his assistant to care for their guest. A sudden crash and some yelling followed their departure.

"You couldn't make the stairs less slippery, Icy Bastard?!" Natsu yelled, groaning in pain.

* * *

…2 Days Later…

* * *

"Pick up, kids." Makarov chanted in a mutter.

"You've reached Fairy Tail." A suave, but out of breath voice answered.

"Max, are you all right?" Makarov asked as the connection cleared and the picture focused.

"Master!" Max replied in surprise. "Yeah, everything is great!"

Makarov raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Are you certain?"

Knowing he was caught, Max sighed, "Twilight Ogre is here."

"What for? You kids didn't pick a fight, did you?"

"Quite the opposite, actually." Max said, flinching as he heard more of their members slipping down the makeshift stairs. He saw Master try to peer around him to see what happened. "They came to us. They're all bedridden, so fourth Master told us to bring them here."

"Bedridden?"

"We're suspecting their magic is getting drained. It's hard to detect any from them at all. And it just seems to get worse as time goes on."

Makarov's eyes widened. "Are any of you feeling like this?"

"No one said anything." Max informed, looking around.

"I'll be back by tonight."

"Is something wrong? You seem worried."

"We have Lamia Scale and Quatro Cerberus here in the same condition."

Before Max could reply, the communication lacrima started blaring an alarm. The sand wizard worked quickly, wishing a safe journey to the Master before cutting off the connection and linking to the SOS signal.

"Fairy Tail. What's the emergency?" Max stated. He was greeted with silence. "Hello?" The picture cleared, showing a room full of unconscious wizards. "Sabertooth? Anyone awake?" He yelled into the lacrima, hoping someone would wake up. "Macao!"

"Who was it?" The Purple Flare wizard asked, already fast walking to the bar with Wakaba.

"Saber." Max informed, turning back to the orb. "Can anyone hear me?"

"Get a group together." Macao instructed to his assistant.

"You heard him!" Wakaba yelled to the meandering members. "Warren, Natsu, Happy, Elfman, Gray, Jet, and Droy – get ready to go. Gajeel and Nab, you guys guard the front door. Alzack, I want you to keep a lookout on the roof."

The group scuttled to the front door, gathering the supplies they might need for the emergency situation.

"I'm going too." Romeo declared.

"It's too dangerous." Macao argued.

"We shouldn't argue ab-" Max began; however a noise from the communication lacrima caught his attention. "Hello?"

Someone from Sabertooth coughed, using the table the communication lacrima was on to hoist themselves to their knees. Rogue.

"We're on our way." Macao said. "What happened?"

"L-Light." Rogue rasped, his arm hardly holding up his body weight. His head tilted down as he coughed once more, "Ethernano Separator."

"What do you need?" Max asked instead.

"Sting." Rogue hissed, crumpling to the ground in another coughing fit. "They took Sting."

"Rogue?" Max called out. He was met with silence. "Rogue!"

"Get going!" Wakaba said to the waiting group.

* * *

"Get better soon." Wendy whispered, taking one last glance at her Sky magic friend. The infirmary in Blue Pegasus was packed to the brim, housing wizards from three guilds.

The Quatro Cerberus wizards were in no better condition than Lamia Scale's mages. The Mermaid Heel women, who were picked up by Lamia Scale, were also not fairing any better. After thorough examination done by Porlyusica, Fairy Tail's medical advisor concluded that all of the wizards suffered from the same thing: Magic Deficiency. And none of them were recovering.

"There's nothing more you can do for Chelia, for now." Charle said, urging the Sky Dragon Slayer to move forward. "We need to go get more help." Wendy nodded, walking out towards the front area where she found Master Makarov and Master Bob in serious discussion.

"Be careful on your way home." Bob said in a somber tone.

"Be on your guard here." Makarov replied. He saw Wendy step out with Charle flying nearby. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, Master." Wendy affirmed. "Porlyusica-san is on her way out."

"I hope you're up for a little more work." Makarov sighed. "Twilight Ogre is resting at our guild as we speak."

"The attacks got to Magnolia already?" Charle squeaked in surprise. "Why isn't anyone at Fairy Tail affected? We're pretty close to Twilight Ogre."

"From what Max told me, there wasn't an attack." Makarov informed, nodding to Porlyusica as he saw her walk out. "They were feeling sick and went to us for help."

"All of them?" Wendy questioned.

"Great." Porlyusica scoffed. "More humans."

"Are you certain you don't want an extra pair of eyes with you?" Bob asked.

"You need all of the men and women you can get." Makarov responded. "Contact us if you need any backup."

"Same goes for you." Bob added, his tone much softer. "I'll see you later, Mackey."

* * *

"Tell me the girls are coming back soon." Gray groaned, sweat dripping from his forehead.

Even with the return of Porlyusica, Wendy, Charle, and Master Makarov a couple days ago, the guildhall was short handed. The entirety of Twilight Ogre and Sabertooth resided inside of Fairy Tail. Not to mention the wizards from Raicho Wing, who were being cared for by Sabertooth before they got attacked, were also in Fairy Tail's hands. If it was not one mage on the brink of death from the deprivation of magic, it was another. Porlyusica and Wendy worked tirelessly around the clock, the others running around to lend extra hands for any emergency procedures.

"I think tomorrow is their last day." Natsu exhaled in exhaustion.

"Do you think they're okay?" Happy asked nervously.

"I'm sure they're fine." Natsu reassured while boiling the bowl of water he held in his hands. "Lucy, Erza, and Mira are there."

"Juvia, too." Gray said absently as he created ice cubes and wrapped a towel around them. "I think Gramps said he was going to give them a call to come home as quickly as possible."

"Yeah, we don't want them to run into… whatever this is." Natsu added, holding in a concerned sigh.

The three quickly went back to the main room. Unconscious wizards occupied even the tables on the first floor. Natsu and Happy went to find Porlyusica and Wendy while Gray went around to check all of their patients.

Although the noise level inside the guildhall was tame compared to other days, the cluttering of medical supplies was more so worrisome. The sudden yelling from Master Makarov's office startled the exhausted wizards. Everyone silently went back to work as their Master continued to argue with the person on the other side of the communication lacrima.

It almost became routine the past couple of days. Makarov would call the Magic Council or vise versa. They would promptly begin arguing on what to do. Master wanted to find out head on what was aggressively taking down all of the wizardry guilds while the Magic Council expressed caution. Not knowing what they were up against and risking them becoming a victim like the others. The attacks were swift and powerful – not leaving any time to counterattack.

There were only a few guilds nearby left with healthy wizards. Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus were the two of highest ranking of those remaining. Though Makarov suspected that the less well known guilds have fallen. It was near impossible to get in contact with any of them lately. Even Blue Pegasus hadn't checked in the day before, but Makarov was still hopeful.

The Fairy Tail wizards flinched as they heard wood splinter. Master must've broken his desk when slamming his Titan magic infused fist into it. This wasn't the first time. Gajeel managed to patch it up with some not so carefully placed rods of iron the first few times around.

Everyone hoped Master could get through to the Magic Council soon. If not, all of the Fairy Tail wizards knew that Master would take this matter into his own hands. And if whoever was doing this dared come to the guild and harm anyone else, they'd be ready.

Max stood behind the bar, staring at his hand. He opened and closed his fist, occasionally sparking up his magic. A small accumulation of sand appeared and disappeared. He narrowed his eyes in concentration.

" _You noticed too?"_

The Sand wizard looked up, seeing Warren meet his gaze. Max gave a small nod in affirmation.

Nearly everyone was using their abilities to help in any way they could. The low level of magic was easily reasoned to be due to exhaustion and overuse. For Max, who used Sand magic, and Warren, who used Telepathy, their magic wasn't needed for any medical treatments. However, they were feeling the draining effects as well.

* * *

…. Next Night…

* * *

"We haven't contacted the guild at all. Today's the last day." Levy said under her breath, leaning her chin into her hand as her elbow rested on the table. She absently looked out the window on the second floor of the club.

"Hopefully everything goes well and we'll see everyone soon." Kinana replied, eating a forkful of the shared slice of chocolate cake for the table.

"Or stay an extra day and say we went on vacation." Bisca joked.

"But how long will our guild building last without Erza and Mira?" Lucy countered. "Who wants to bet that Laki will be doing repairs when we get back?"

"Only a fool would take that bet." Bisca scoffed in amusement.

"I'm sure Master wouldn't let the guild fall into shambles." Levy giggled. "Unless he's still away."

"He took Wendy and Charle with him, didn't he?" The Guns Requip wizard questioned. "There goes the guild."

"I'm sure, at least, the majority of the walls are still standing." Kinana reassured, tilting her head to peer out the window at a different angle. She wasn't that experienced of a wizard, nor has she specialized in any particular magic, but an extra pair of eyes never hurt.

Lucy let out a breath, taking another forkful of cake to consume. Her other hand absently stroked the dagger strapped to her thigh, taking comfort in the cold metal. They needed to protect the club for just one more night.

* * *

… 2 AM…

* * *

"And that's the last of them." Marika, the owner of the Ladies' Club, said with a sigh of relief as she locked the door. She turned around and smiled widely at the Fairy Tail wizards and her friends from Seven. "Great job this week, girls."

"It was our pleasure." Mira replied. "And we're really grateful for all of the accommodations."

"Happy workers equal good workers." Marika laughed behind her hand.

"I really appreciate everything you did for us." Macie, the government official from Seven, said. Her friends nodded in approval. "Nighttime can get a little crazy. Having wizards around was definitely comforting. I didn't even realize some of you were guards. I thought, for sure, some of you were just regulars here to enjoy the view."

"The view was just a bonus." Cana said with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.

"It's time to say good night, ladies." Marika cut in. "I need to handle their pay."

"And you don't want me to know how much it cost to hire all of these people." Macie said with a roll of her eyes. "I can help pay, you know? The government doesn't lack a good paycheck."

"They're my insurance." Marika commented dryly. "If something happened to you, I'd be in big trouble with that good paying government of yours. Besides, I have the pay covered."

"If you say so, Mar." Macie replied, turning to the patiently waiting mages. "Really, thank you. I hope you have a safe journey home."

"You as well." Erza replied with a nod.

With a final wave of her hand, Macie, her friends, and her bodyguards left for their hotel. Marika saw the group to the door, promising to see them the following morning to say goodbye.

The Fairy Tail girls stood around, softly chatting with each other. They gave their full attention to their employer when the woman clapped her hand softly. Marika went upstairs to her office and quickly came back down with an envelope in hand.

"Keep this safe and go to a bank when you get home." Marika said joyfully, handing over the check to Erza.

"Thank you." The red haired Re-quip wizard replied, checking the amount before nodding.

"It was a pleasure working with you girls." Marika admitted. "I hope we can stay friends."

"Of course." Mira said with a sparkling smile.

"Next time anyone's in town, feel free to stop by." The club owner added as she opened the door for them.

"We will." The girls chorused.

The women filed out of the doorway with final waves of their hands. Marika locked the doors and turned around to head back into her office. Her smile fell. She reached for a communication lacrima hidden behind her desk and waited for the person to respond.

"Marika." A man greeted.

"They left." The club owner informed solemnly.

"Good. You will receive the promised jewels for your services and for those _Fairies._ "

"What exactly do you plan on doing with them?" Marika asked cautiously.

"That is none of your concern." The man replied with a sneer. "Remember our deal, girl. You get the Fairies to let their guard down in your little club and your friend doesn't get hurt."

Marika inaudible swallowed nervously. She will not allow Macie to get hurt. She just hoped that the Fairy Tail girls really were as powerful as they seemed.

* * *

Lucy groaned in relief as she linked her fingers and stretched her arms up in the air. The girls looked at each other and smiled. Their job was a success. Laki covered a yawn as they walked to their hotel.

"I'm going to miss all of the booze." Cana commented.

"You have the same amount at the guild." Kinana reminded.

"Maybe we should start doing a gambling night." Lisanna joked. "I bet Cana will wipe the floor with everyone after all of the practice she's had here."

"I already wipe the floor with everyone." Cana snorted in amusement.

"Everyone's going to be broke." Levy sighed.

"Juvia thinks it will be fun." The Water wizard mentioned, thinking out loud. "Juvia can spend more time with Gray-sama."

Lucy giggled with the others, getting lulled into casual conversation. The evening was dark, leaving only the stars and sparse streetlamps to light the way around Hargeon. The silent night was pierced with a sudden explosion of magic against the ground. The girls jumped back, skidding into a battle ready stance.

No one stepped out to claim the attack. The Fairy girls shifted their eyes nervously, trying to sense the mage responsible for this.

Levy cried out in surprise as an odd tube wrapped around her wrist, yanking her forward. A flash of light blinded the group.


	43. Blood

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

To the guest reviewer who said: you abandoned us.

I don't appreciate that.

I'm trying my best to finish this story, but if it's too slow for you, please go elsewhere.

This will not make me update any faster.

* * *

Thank you to those who gave me encouraging words for the above! I didn't expect any because it was more of a reply to the person than anything else, but it is still very much appreciated! :)

* * *

Chapter Forty-Three: Blood…

* * *

Mira groaned softly, struggling to open her eyes. She found it difficult to breath as liquid surrounded her body. Breathing was possible, probably due to some magic properties, but it was definitely effortful. Mira tested her muscles, finding that her body was weak and out of energy. She looked around, seeing the other girls from Fairy Tail floating in the same liquid container. Everyone's right wrist was attached to a tube the connected to the top, keeping everyone suspended.

The Take-Over: Satan Soul wizard attempted to conjure up her magic. Her arm began to change form but was stopped with a jolt of pain. Mira gritted her teeth. Her magic was forcefully taken away from her, reverting her transformation as quickly as it had appeared. After settling her senses, she took a look around. Lucy was to her left and Erza was to her right.

The green liquid they were submerged in obscured her vision, making everything appear blurred. Outside of their compartment, Mira noted that there were others. She couldn't get a clear view of who was inside of the tubes, but she definitely saw a lot more. Mira used her free hand, valiantly shaking Erza's shoulder. When that failed, she switched to Lucy.

The Take-Over: Satan Soul wizard thought frantically, thinking up possible ideas. Anything. Mira tested her reach with her leg. After making sure none of their captors were near, she kicked out. The tall heel of her shoe connected with the thick glass containing them inside. She repeated the action.

"Hardly a scratch, dear."

Mira quickly looked up. The amused eyes of an older man stared back at her. The smirk he adorned sent a shiver down her spine.

"I had heard of the she-devil being able to consume poison. I didn't realize that included a sleeping poison though." Another male said as he walked up to the container.

The Take-Over: Satan Soul wizard sent an icy glare at the duo. She wasn't certain who the first man was, however, the appearance of the other man made it clear to her. She definitely recognized _him._

"You probably want to know what we plan to do to you."

Mirajane lifted an eyebrow, not amused. Evil villains spilling their plot to their captives. Typical. She wondered if they were really going to play by the book. Before she could ponder the thought more, Erza started to move.

"Interesting." The second man hummed. "You must be eating away all of the poison."

She knew he was right. The demon in her was humming in delight at the meal. Mira felt her magic levels stay the same, nonetheless. The draining effects of the machine they were attached to and the energy she received from the poison off set. She felt a body jerk next to her. The gleaming metal of a sword appeared in her vision. Erza woke up.

The sword disappeared with a gasp of pain. Erza succumbed to the same painful jolt, leaving her breathless. Even in her weakened state, the Re-quip wizard gave the two men her most frightening glower. The two men chuckled in return.

"What horrible things can we do to you Fairies that will teach your _Master_ not to meddle with us? Any ideas, Marnix?"

"I have a few ideas, Master." Marnix, replied with a grin. "Leave the blonde to me. It's personal."

* * *

Wendy snuck a glance towards the front entrance of the guild. Her senses twitched as something heavy approached the city borders. The cough from her patient returned her attention back to the matter at hand. She heard Master arguing with the Magic Council again. Neither Fairy Tail nor the Council found any clues as to who or what was attacking the wizardry guilds, no matter which tactic was used. No one was even sure which guilds remained standing.

The Sky Dragon Slayer sighed in both relief and exhaustion. The wizard she was tending to settled down. And the other girls of Fairy Tail were due back any day now. Their job should've ended a few days ago. They must be taking a small vacation on the beachfront.

A clanging sound in the distance had Wendy stopping in her tracks once more.

"Pipsqueak." Gajeel called out in a low voice as he passed by. "Keep an ear on it."

"We should inform Master." She suggested nervously, looking at all of the fallen wizards. "A sneak attack on us now…"

The Iron Dragon Slayer didn't comment. He patted her on the head in reassurance before motioning towards Makarov's office on the second floor. Gajeel took a glance towards the other side of the room, making eye contact with Natsu. The two of them nodded to each other, silently agreeing that Natsu would listen to the noise while he and Wendy went to speak to Master.

The duo waited until Master Makarov was finished having his ear talked off by the Magic Council before addressing the problem. It was decided that, to be as inconspicuous as possible, the Exceeds were to be sent to assess the noise from the air. Happy, Charle, and Pantherlily were quickly rounded up and briefed on the situation.

"Team Exceed is back in action." Happy exclaimed proudly, saluting Master. "We won't let you down!"

Charle sighed, "I'll make sure he doesn't get in trouble."

"We'll be back soon." Pantherlily concluded, summoning his Aera magic and securing his sword to his back.

* * *

"Fairy Tail!" Gran Doma growled, slamming his fist onto the table. The large communication lacrima shook at the impact.

"You can't blame them. They're just as worried as we are." Org said, trying to pacify the leader of the Magic Council.

"You're too soft, Org. Fairy Tail will never learn to obey our commands if we don't do something to stop them." Another male council member scoffed.

Org sighed under his breath. The other members started talking over each other.

"Where are the units we sent out? Any word?" A woman interrupted.

"Lahar has yet to find a wizards' guild that has not been wiped out."

"Doranbolt reported some guilds along the northern border that have not been harmed."

"There was one other guild that survived the attacks." Gran Doma informed, exhaling out his stress. He checked the reports in front of him.

"Who?"

"Zepar War." Gran Doma said.

"Not exactly a model guild either." A woman commented off-handedly.

"However, any more disobedience from Fairy Tail…" Gran Doma said, leaving the threat hanging.

* * *

"Natsu!"

The Fire Dragon Slayer and many of the other guild members looked towards the doors. Happy, Charle, and Pantherlily burst through the entrance in a hurry. The blue Exceed had tears dripping from his fur, visibly distraught.

"What happened?" Natsu asked, catching Happy in his arms.

Charle and Pantherlily were reluctant to speak, looking away from the duo.

"Charle?" Wendy called softly, coming over to the group with Gajeel.

"Lucy and the others," Happy sniveled, crying louder.

Everyone waited with bated breath.

"They were captured." Charle informed. "That noise you were hearing was… their carrying container."

"Container?" Gajeel questioned with a raised studded eyebrow.

"Who?" The Fire Dragon Slayer added with a sneer.

The heavy crunching against the gravel outside was now audible even to those with natural hearing ability.

"Zepar War." Pantherlily said, transforming into his larger self.

"Guard the doors." Master ordered, pushing his way to the front of the crowd. "Make sure no one comes in here."

Most of the members followed Makarov out the front doors. A cart carrying a large container greeted them. Master Makarov's eyes widened, his anger bubbling to the surface. His children hung unconscious by their wrists.

"What a welcome."

Makarov turned his eyes towards the man who spoke, nearly sneering, "Veljko. What is the Master of Zepar War doing here with our members?"

Master Veljko chuckled in amusement. He watched as the other Fairies got a good look at the captives, smiling at the horror on their faces.

"Lisanna, Nee-san!" Elfman yelled.

"Erza, too." Gray hissed under his breath, shifting his stance. "Juvia."

A mighty cry and a wave of heat paused the conversation. Natsu was nearly flying as he jumped on top of the container. He stood in front of the glowing sphere on top of the cylinder, giving it a murderous glare.

"What is this crap?" The Fire Dragon Slayer asked. He lit up his fist.

Natsu's cry of pain startled the Fairy Tail members. His body fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Masker Veljko laughed, his body glowing red with extra energy.

"Thank you for your magic, little dragon." Veljko commented. The red aura quickly converted to a black mist, surrounding his hands.

"A magic drainer?" Warren gasped.

"I'm sure you Fairies are too foolish to realize." Veljko continued, readying a spell. "Zepar War has been taking yours," Members of Zepar War walked along the streets of Magnolia with their heads held high. Each member glowed with extra magical energy. "And nearly every guild in this country!"

The dark spell crackled with power.

"Get down!" Makarov commanded, his body glowing yellow with magic. His form enlarged, shielding his children behind his body.

The sound of cracking glass cut through the chaos. Veljko turned sharply to look at the container.

"That's it." Natsu whispered, panting slightly.

The green liquid sloshed as Lucy drove her dagger deeper into the magic storage sphere that held everyone's wrist. A burst of magic from her body erupted forth. The container and the sphere ruptured. One by one, the women landed on their feet, crouched on the ground. Outfits and hair drenched from the green potion. Magic encircled the group; storm clouds quickly covered the once sunny city.

"The girls are mad." Max shuddered. The others could only hum in agreement.

Erza stood up first, keeping her head down. She was cloaked in her Purgatory Armor. Mirajane got up next to her.

"Stick to the plan." The Re-quip wizard whispered. Mira nodded. With the confirmation, Erza rushed forward. Her yell prompted the others to get into action.

"Lucy." Levy called worriedly, putting a comforting hand on the Celestial wizard's back.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried out, crouching next to the blonde. "What happened?"

"She said this was a going to happen if she used the dagger." Levy informed.

"I'll be fine in a minute." Lucy coughed. She squeaked as Natsu lifted her into his arms, rushing inside the guild. "Natsu?"

"Levy, Bisca!" The Fire Dragon Slayer called out. "Follow me!"

"Where are we going?" Levy asked. Bisca turned, absently shooting a bullet into the shoulder of an attacking Zepar War mage.

"You girls guard the guild from the rooftop." Natsu said. "Until Lucy recovers... Alzack should be up there, too."

"Whoa, what happened here?" Bisca asked as they ran through the crowded guildhall. Natsu didn't reply as he easily hopped over the broken portion of the staircase.

Levy and Bisca rushed onto the roof. Natsu carefully placed Lucy against the wall.

"Bisca," Alzack sighed in relief.

"What happened?" Natsu asked, holding Lucy's shoulders.

"The dagger uses Star magic." Lucy replied, still catching her breath. "It's only enough to override a system for a few seconds. To completely shut anything down, I have to push my own magic into it."

The Fire Dragon Slayer was silent, slowly lifting his hand to pat her head. "Rest up here."

"But-"

"Levy! Make sure she doesn't go anywhere." Natsu said. Without another glance, he hopped off of the roof, cracking the pavement below with the force. Even with the growing storm falling down on them, the area around him smoked.

"Idiot." Lucy hissed, turning to watch as he ran into battle like a mad man.

"He's just worried." Levy giggled. She turned serious eyes towards the raging scene. "Mirajane, Lisanna, what's taking so long?"

* * *

"Wood Make: The Dam of Shy Love!" Laki called out, putting her hands to the ground. Jagged pillars of wood shot out to create a wall between them. She took a quick glance at Master Makarov behind her before sending another attack. This time, Sand magic accompanied her move, making the spell more powerful.

"Master!" Lisanna called out, running alongside her sister.

"Master!" Mira copied, flying up to grab the old man's wrist. Her Satan Soul form easily tugged the giant towards the guildhall. "Hurry."

Without knowing why, Makarov undid his transformation and allowed the sisters to usher him inside the guildhall. Though the Strauss siblings were surprised with the unconscious wizards lying on the tables, they quickly rushed upstairs to the office.

"What are you girls doing?" Makarov asked.

They barged into the room, nearly cracking the wooden doorframe in their haste. Mirajane situated Master at his desk while Lisanna checked around with her animal senses.

"You have to stay safe." Mira panted, turning to listen closely to the outside noises against the wall.

"There is a raging battle out there-" Makarov began, about to step around them.

"That's not it." Mira interrupted. She stood up straight and looked Fairy Tail's Master in the eye.

"You just have to stay safe, Master." Lisanna repeated.

Makarov sat down in his chair with a sigh, ready to listen to the two women.

"When we were captured, they took us to their laboratory or something." Mira began to explain. "Like the container we were in, the Masters of other guilds were in the same condition."

"The liquid is a type of ethernano separator." Lisanna added. "In other words, it drains magic energy from anyone immersed in it or uses magic nearby. They have another type, too. One they used to capture us."

"It's some kind of light." Mira continued on. "Rather than just extracting our magic, it paralyzes the ethernano particles in the air. A wizard's body is constantly refueling with new magic. Naturally, the defected particles made it seem like our magic was inaccessible."

"And you girls found this all out while you were trapped inside that tube?" Master asked.

"They told us." Lisanna said with a shrug.

"Master," Mira called out in a serious voice. The S-Class wizard and the Guild Master stared into each other's eyes. "Becoming the Master of a guild means more than just a title, doesn't it?"

"Of course, Mira-chan. The reputation, the legacy-"

"Familial Magic." Mira cut off. "The Guild Master becomes the sole link that ties all of the members together." She gently touched her guild insignia without taking her eyes off of Makarov. "The one who makes us family."

Makarov cleared his throat. Neither of them reacted to the sounds of an explosion happening outside. "Yes. To receive a guild insignia means to bind your magic and loyalty to the affiliation. To the leader."

"Which means when the master of a guild has their magic taken…" Lisanna trailed off, looking away.

"Everyone that has the guild mark will slowly be drained as well." Makarov said in realization.

"Promise us, Master." Mirajane added. "Promise us you'll stay here. It's our turn to protect you."

"No, Mira. A parent must always protect their children." Makarov denied, stepping around the girls. "Do not be afraid of such things."

"Master!" Lisanna called out, rushing to stop the old man. "Please. They captured who knows how many guild masters. We won't risk you like that."

"Why would I risk you and the others the same way?" He asked.

"Because you trained us well." Mira muttered softly. "Because we're Fairy Tail. When we have something to protect – together – we can do anything."

* * *

"Should've died the first time." Gunnar growled out. He summoned boulders in front of him and sent them forward.

"Ice Make: Hammer!" Gray roused, slamming the object into the boulders. They were at a stand still, each pouring the energy into overpowering the other. "Not a chance!"

"Water Slicer!"

"Juvia," The Ice Make wizard whispered under his breath in relief. The boulder shattered, crunching into the ground.

The stolen magic Zepar War used was taking its toll on everyone. Attacks were stronger. Defensive spells were impenetrable.

Gray grunted as he stumbled back onto the broken ground. Gunnar smiled in satisfaction, showing off his magic prowess by creating floating boulders around him. Juvia materialized beside Gray, looking none the better. Though the rain she unconsciously let loose helped power some of her spells, it was hardly enough to get it to normal strength.

"Are you all right, Gray-sama?" Juvia asked, her voice as breathless as he felt.

"Fine." He replied with a dissatisfied huff. He brushed off her attempt to help him without thought. Seeing her disheartened expression, he silently though he'd make it up to her when this was over. "What's with his magic? It's not decreasing at all, no matter how many huge spells he uses."

"It is Juvia and the others' magic he is using." She informed.

Gray scoffed in annoyance, positioning himself to release his own magic. "If that's the case, we'll be here for a while."

Tired of watching the two of them squabble; Gunnar moved his hand, sending the boulders at them. Gray countered with ice lances, followed by Juvia's Water Cyclone spell.

* * *

"Rain…" Lucy hummed in thought as she hid behind the low wall on the roof of the guildhall. She wondered…

"What was that, Lucy?" Bisca asked, turning away form her sniping position. The two of them were the only one's remaining on the rooftop.

"Ah, it was nothing." The blonde said. "More importantly, how are you holding up?"

"Not as strong as I had hoped." Bisca admitted.

"I think everyone is feeling the same." Lucy commented, peering over the side o f the wall. The others were struggling over the power difference, just as Bisca was.

The Requip: The Guns wizard looked through her scope. Her next bullet collided with an ice spell coming form a Zepar War mage. The ice shattered, allowing Wendy's roar to make contact.

* * *

Shrifra scoffed, watching as Natsu Dragneel devoured her fire. No matter how powerful her magic became with the _borrowed_ magic, it was helpless against an opponent that was immune to the element. She took note of her opponents, easily stepping back and allowing her guild mate to jump forward.

Through the swirling fire being sucked into a single direction, Erza emerged. She was equipped in her Flame Empress Armor and wielding a long, crystalized sword imbued with Water magic from her Sea Empress Armor.

A high-pitched cry of determination met Titania on the battlefield. Darrel Callisto jumped out, his hands glowing with magic. The young boy flipped in the air, landing steadily on his feet with his arms spread.

"Retaliation Magic!" Darrel yelled. His magic illuminated the dark skies briefly, disappearing to reveal copies of the Master of Zepar War – Veljko.

"Your Master purposefully defeated you?" Erza asked, her eyes narrowing. The battle, no matter how staged, must've hurt the young wizard.

Natsu came blazing in, his fist alight, "That's not how you should treat your friends." He smashed his fist into a copy of Veljko. "That's not what a guild stands for!"

* * *

Elfman shouted out in pain as he was sent careening into the guild's door. The loud crash was drowned out by the sounds of thunder.

"Elfman!" Mira yelled, flying from the second floor of the guild to land in front of her brother.

"This is where you've run off to, Makarov." Veljko chuckled, his magic overflowing out of his body. "Hiding behind mediocre body guards!"

The Master of Zepar War put his hands in front of him. A quick beam of dark magic shot out. Mira intercepted with her own magic. She grit her teeth, feeling her body be pushed back even as she dug her feet into the ground.

"Beast Soul: Lizardman!"

Through the collision of magic emerged Elfman covered in green scales. Without slowing down, the Take Over: Beast Soul wizard grabbed at the elder man. Veljko chortled, easily evading with a spell of smoke. Without missing a step, Mirajane shot magic into the surrounding area randomly.

Lisanna's cry made her two elder siblings stop and look over.

"Lisanna!" Mira and Elfman called out, feeling rage fill their minds as they watched their little sister get pinned against the wall by Marnix Ross.

"This is the problem with you Fairies."

Mirajane's eyes widened as she quickly pivoted on her feet, finding Veljko directly behind her.

Elfman threw his body towards them, hoping to become her shield.

"In battle, you should only worry about yourself!"

Veljko released a wave of dark magic, encompassing the Take-Over siblings. His eyes were open wide, glazed over in delight.

* * *

"No." Lucy whispered, peering over the ledge once more. "No…"

The continuous screams from her friends bled through the roar of thunder and heavy rain.

Gray was pinned to the ground with a boulder lying on his legs. Juvia frantically attempted to break him free. The continuous assault of rocks didn't allow her the luxury.

Cana threw out card after card, only to be pushed back.

Max collapsed to the ground, his shirt burned off. Laki gasped in surprise, quickly falling to her knees to check on him. She put up a wall of wood, however the barrier didn't last long against fire.

Gajeel picked up the unconscious Sky Dragon Slayer in his arms, quickly turning his back to protect the girl from magic.

Mirajane. Lisanna. Elfman. Nab. Vijeeter. Warren. Jet. Droy. Levy. Happy. Charle. Pantherlily. Macao. Wakaba. Romeo. Alzack. Reedus. Erza…!

"Please." Lucy encouraged, her fingers clutching against the side of the wall.

Natsu!

"Watch out!" Bisca yelled suddenly, throwing her body away from the ledge and tackling Lucy to the ground.

The rooftop was hit with an explosion.

* * *

"Hands off, bastard!" Natsu shouted, punching Marnix Ross away from Lisanna.

"Thanks," Lisanna coughed, wiping away the water in her eyes. "Ready?"

"Let's go!" The Fire Dragon Slayer said with an uncanny sneer.

Lisanna kept Marnix's attention with high-speed swipes with her claws while Natsu took every opportunity to deal major damage.

"Brats!" Marnix yelled, slamming his fist into the ground and creating a rush of gravel.

The two of them jumped back. Before Natsu could jump back into battle, the Fairy Tail building shook with a tremendous impact.

Looking up, Natsu saw the roof on fire. "Lucy!"

"Natsu!" Lisanna called out in warning, moving as quickly as she could.

Marnix released his magic directly beside the Fire Dragon Slayer.

* * *

"Was that your last line of defense, Makarov?" Veljko chortled, stepping onto Elfman's back as he walked forward.

The Master of Zepar War paused, hearing light laughter below his feet.

"Last line?" Mira asked; her voice held no pain, only silent amusement. She slowly pushed her body up with her arms.

"We're not done." Elfman grunted, reaching behind him to grab Veljko's ankle.

"Even if we were done," Mira continued, gracefully standing. "Hasn't anyone ever told you to not mess with our Fairy Tail family? Furthermore," She paused, her eyes narrowing, amusement disappearing. "You don't mess with blood family."

Lightning struck, illuminating the inside of the guild through the broken doorway. A blonde man leaned against the broken banister, his body crackling with electricity.

"Because sometimes blood…" Mira whispered, suddenly appearing directly in front of Veljko. She briefly checked on her brother. The She-Devil put her hands on the elder man's chest, a black magic circle appearing between them. "Is thicker than water!"


	44. Is Thicker Than Water

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

* * *

Chapter Forty-Four: …Is Thicker Than Water

* * *

"Lisanna! Lisanna!" Natsu yelled while shaking the girl he held in his arm as he knelt to the ground.

He looked up as he heard metal clash to the ground in a missed attack.

"Get Lisanna into the guild, now!" Erza ordered, baiting Marnix into battling her instead.

Without another word, Natsu lifted the unconscious Take-Over wizard into his arms and entered the guild through the broken walls. He laid her near the back where there was the least amount of damage and chance of danger. Quickly looking her over, Natsu cringed at the odd angle her arm sat at. With Wendy defeated as well, injuries had to be endured. He checked the roof, seeing Loke and some others caring for Lucy and Bisca. With a frustrated sigh, Natsu leapt back into the fray. Lucy could take care of herself – he had to trust in her.

* * *

She looked over as she heard Natsu yell her sister's name. Mirajane grit her teeth, taking an attack to her cheek.

"You're distracted, Mirajane." Laxus commented in a low voice, coming to her defense. "Leave this bastard to me."

The Take-Over wizard turned to argue, however, her mouth stilled as she saw the look in her comrade's eyes. For Master Makarov, his grandfather, for the man who raised him, Laxus was going to repay every pain their family felt by the hands of Veljko Callisto.

Without another word, Mira flew off.

* * *

"Lucy-nee!"

The Celestial wizard crinkled her forehead, a headache rapidly forming. She felt small hands shake her shoulders. The voice called out once more. Lucy slowly opened her eyes, her surroundings blurry. She groaned softly.

"Owner?" A deeper voice asked. Lucy turned her head, seeing a man lifting an unconscious Bisca off of her. "Have you regained your senses?"

The blonde hummed in affirmative, wincing as she pushed to lean on her elbows.

"Be careful," Vulpecula, Spirit of the Fox, warned, helping Lucy sit up.

"Sorry," Lucy apologized softly. She turned her head when she realized that a bright light was fading.

"That was too close." Loke sighed in relief, letting his defensive spell dissipate. From across the way, he spotted a woman perched on a tall building. An archer.

"Apologies for being late." Hydra, Spirit of the Water Serpent, said as he lifted Bisca in his arms. "I was looking for back up."

"He found me." Vulpecula piped up.

Hydra, in his human form, had shoulder length silver hair and piercing golden eyes. A sharp contrast to his Beast partner, Vulpecula, whose childlike body and fox ears and tail exuded cuteness.

"Don't worry about it." Lucy pacified, staggering to her feet with Vulpecula's help. Though she quickly lost her balance and fell into Leo's precautious arms. "It's perfect weather for you to be guard today, Hyrda."

"Well enough to joke, I see." Hydra commented.

Lucy turned to the fourth Celestial Spirit out of the Celestial Realm.

"Leo dragged me through his gate without warning." A woman said, almost sneering at the Zodiac Leader. The messy bun her chestnut colored hair was in started to droop with the rain. "It's perfect for Hydra, but my wings could really go without all of this rain." She joked; ruffling the brown-feathered wings she had on her back. "As long as I'm here, I'm at your service, Owner."

"You know what to do, Aquila." Loke stated.

Aquila, Spirit of the Eagle, openly scoffed at the Zodiac this time. "I don't answer to you in Earth Land, Leo." The two glared at each other. "For Lucy, I know exactly my job." With softer eyes, Aquila patted Lucy on the shoulder before flying high into the sky.

"Let's get you and Bisca inside." Loke suggested, lifting Lucy into his arms. With the roof blown open and the front wall in shambles, there wasn't much cover in the guildhall any longer.

"If you can keep this rain up, I may be able to help you turn the tide." Hydra said, jumping down with Bisca in his arms.

"I'll stay with Lucy-nee." Vulpecula added, landing with light steps.

Hydra gently placed the Guns mage against the back wall next to another woman as Loke set Lucy on a bench.

"At your command." Hydra prompted, his eyes beginning to glow with magic. The Celestial wizard gave a nod of approval as his transformation began. In place of the silver haired man was a silver scaled snake with multiple rows of teeth and deep purple dorsal fins lining his back.

"Hydrae." Lucy chanted, drawing out a constellation. The thunderstorm outside became more violent; lightning lined the darkening clouds and rain pelted down to the earth like small bullets. "Storm Bringer!"

Hydra easily flew through the air. As his body was met with rain, it seemed as though he disappeared, only to reappear elsewhere with his jaws around his enemy.

* * *

Gray leaned back, nearly losing his balance as an archer's arrow whizzed through the fringes of his hair.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia warned from afar.

The Ice-Make wizard eyed the sharp points of multiple stone arrowheads aimed at him. He reset his steps, putting his hands together to form another spell. Before he could rebalance his body, a bolt of lightning appeared in front of him, followed by footsteps landing in the growing puddles.

As the light faded away, Gray blinked the dots out of his vision. Before him, Loke seized Gunnar's attention. The Ice Make wizard turned to check on his blonde teammate. Summoning a Zodiac Spirit took too much energy, what was she thinking in her condition? The roof was in shambles. Moving his eyes to look inside the guildhall, Gray saw Lucy sitting on a bench, her hands together in concentration.

"She's controlling the rain."

Gray was brought out of his thoughts, "She recovered that much magic?"

"I and the others came on our own magic. She only has to keep the rain up and use the lightning to our advantage." Loke informed, throwing an attack back towards the Rock mage.

"What will keeping the rain up do?" Gray questioned, shooting ice spears all around them while carefully avoiding his guild mates. He experienced first hand how defensive a lightning strike could be.

"Over there." Leo said, turning to look.

The archer perched on a tall building didn't even see the large serpent snake around her body. The scales of the serpent blinking in and out of visibility as the Celestial Spirit opened his mouth wide. The piercing scream of fright was nearly inaudible through the cracks of thunder.

"Rain makes it invisible?"

"More like water. Hydra is the Spirit of the Water Serpent." Loke pivoted on his feet, kicking away a large boulder flying at them.

* * *

Erza groaned, her armor shattering and falling off her body. Marnix laughed gleefully, using his Crash magic once more to rip apart the ground just before she could make a smooth landing. With a quick Re-quip, Erza flew away in her Black Wing Armor.

"As expected of Titania!" Marnix chuckled. The man quickly followed her path, shattering his guild members' attacks to throw Erza's way.

The Re-quip wizard narrowed her eyes in abhorrence. By taking away his friends' magic, he left them open to attack themselves. She turned, bringing up her blade, "Moon Flash!"

An ice spell shattered to her left. A rock spell shattered in front of her. Without hesitation, Erza burst through with a cry of determination.

Lightning struck to her left, effectively destroying the ice magic heading her way.

Marnix jumped back, only getting scratched by Erza's sword. With the brief pause, the Re-quip wizard looked into the crowd.

Laxus? No… He had his hands full already.

Lucy. Erza watched as Lucy concentrated on sensing the battle through her mind's eyes, producing lightning as a countermeasure for the other Fairy Tail members. Freed sat near her, checking and double-checking his Runes barrier around the guild.

Though with a guard like that, Erza wondered if Freed was of more use out in the field rather than on the defense team. She eyed the young girl with fox ears standing on the table the two Fairy Tail wizards sat at. The Celestial Spirit threw out her hand, summoning another guard for the broken guildhall. Next to an abnormally large lion emerged a large snake.

Vulpecula, Spirit of the Fox, was the fifth strongest out of all of the Beast Spirits.

A summoner summoning a summoner?

Erza would have to ask later as she was once again driven into battle.

There was no way a summoner would be allowed to call upon another summoner…. That would be too…

If not the Celestial Realm, then where were the creatures coming from?

* * *

"That's it! HAHA! Crash and burn, baby!" Aquila laughed, watching in amusement as multiple small tornados ravished the inside of a cave.

The winds viciously attacked containers, spilling broken glass and colored liquid onto the ground. The noises were followed up by dull thuds as bodies tumbled to the floor. Aquila continued to chuckle in glee, watching her magic do its most destructive work. She expanded the wings on her back, flapping them to aid her tornados with more gusts.

The Celestial Spirit of the Eagle quickly dropped her smile, swiveling on her heels and using the talons on her hands to claw at the new _visitors._

One of them let out a surprised shriek, stepping back to avoid any damage while the other dodged with a little more grace.

"Oh? Nice reflexes." Aquila commented. She eyed the duo up and down. A man and a woman, both with pretty decent magical energy.

"What do you think you're doing?" The man asked, his voice steady.

"How about yourselves?" The Celestial Spirit questioned in return. "Here I was informed that hardly anyone knew of this place."

The man quickly nodded his head towards the chaos behind the Eagle Spirit. The woman he came in with made to go around and check on the condition of the unconscious wizards lying on the ground but was stopped by talons going for her neck. The talons embedded themselves into the cave wall, making small chunks fall to the ground.

"I'm sure we can do this the easy way." He suggested, though one hand lit up with magic.

"I'm sure we could, but where is the fun in that?" Aquila asked with a small smile. "Besides, I will not fail my given orders."

"And we will not fail our mission." He answered. His dark eyes scanned his opponent.

The three of them stood in silence.

"What are you going to do, star user?" Aquila said softly.

"Depends what you will do, Celestial Spirit." He replied.

"Oh?" Aquila giggled. "So you can tell? I expect nothing less from someone who uses some of our stars – although without our permission."

"Who's your key holder?" The silent girl finally piped up. "We're friends with a Celestial wizard. Maybe if she's your owner, we can work something out without a fight."

* * *

Lucy, Vulpecula, and Freed jumped in their stationary positions as a door slammed open and knocked against a wall.

"Someone couldn't have gotten in." Freed whispered under his breath. He stood up, putting a hand to his sword.

"Lucy-nee?" Vulpecula asked, awaiting her orders.

As the three of them waited with bated breath, a cracked communication lacrima rolled off the side of the second floor banister, breaking completely once it collided with the ground floor.

"Master?" Freed called out, hurrying towards the broken steps.

Makarov calmly came out of his office, though his facial expression told the wizards otherwise. Master was as angry as ever.

"W-Wait, you can't go out there." Lucy warned, standing up as well. She staggered a bit, but caught herself on the edge of the table.

"The Magic Council is only just sending reinforcements." Makarov said evenly, coming down the stairs.

"Be that as it may, you shouldn't go out there. Laxus is fighting for you. We are fighting for you." Freed added.

"And I will not allow my children to fight for me." Makarov replied sternly.

"But we want to protect you." Lucy insisted.

"You are right, my dear." Master said, more gently as he made it to her side. "And I wish to protect you."

"But Master-" Freed tried to argue.

"No matter the risk, we fight for each other." Makarov interrupted. The Titan wizard used his magic to grow taller and more buff before going out the door. His imposing figure scraped against the edges of the sizeable hole in the guild's front wall, making it wider.

"I hope the support beams will hold up." Vulpecula thought out loud, looking up where the support beams connected to the ceiling and the remainder of the roof.

* * *

"You again?" Shifra groaned in frustration. She nimbly dodged a fiery fist coming at her cheek. "How many times are you Fairies going to switch opponents?"

"As many times as it takes to protect our friends!" Natsu growled, landing a kick to her side.

"You're annoying." Shifra said as she tried to catch her breath. She summoned fire into her hand, however she felt a jolt run through her body, making her stagger.

"Fire won't work on me." Natsu reminded, though he paused and raised an eyebrow. What was wrong with the girl?

Shifra widened her eyes in surprise, falling to a knee. The magic she had was quickly leaving her. It was true; she and her guild mates have used far more magic than they naturally had, but the magic they were taking from the guild masters…

Someone wasn't freeing the guild masters… right?

Their goal… What they were fighting for! They needed Fairy Tail's power! Shifra looked up with narrowed eyes. She was going to keep battling… She wasn't going to rest. Orange flames filled her vision.

She was…

…Losing to a fire user.

"Master..." Shifra warned softly. The girl braced herself as fire surrounded her. Even in the rain and with her natural resistance to fire thanks to her own magic, the overpowering heat of his magic began to make her short of breath.

* * *

"Darrel?" Gunnar called out in concern when he saw the young boy lying on the ground. "Darrel!"

"Gunnar…" The young boy whispered.

"Let's get you away from here."

"Behind…"

The Rock wizard whipped his head around, only to get slapped in the face by water. He stood his ground, protecting his smaller guild mate from further damage.

"Juvia will not allow you to harm Gray-sama any further!"

"Hey…" Gray grumbled, not far away. "Regardless, leave your friend there and let's settle this."

"Big words for someone looking like you do." Gunnar retorted. Gray's bare chest and arms were covered in scrapes with rock shards imbedded into the skin.

"W-Wait," Darrel warned. "Gunnar, stop."

"We won't lose to you." The Ice Make wizard fired back. He and Juvia paused.

Gunnar fell to his knees, clutching at his chest. Magic rushed out of his body, leaving him weak and disoriented.

* * *

"That's everyone." A woman said, letting out a sigh of relief as she gently laid down an unconscious man.

"Less destruction than I'm use to, but whatever." Aquila commented, relaxing her hands behind her head.

"You can stop watching us with those eagle eyes of yours now." The woman suggested.

"As if, _Meredy._ If that's really your name." Aquila scoffed. "Until my Owner gives the okay on you fools, I'm keeping an eye and at least three talons on you two."

"Let's come up with a plan to move everyone out of here."

"My orders were to break them out and keep watch until Fairy Tail sends some help. Nice try, _Jellal_ – or whatever your name is." Aquila refused. "Do anything funny-"

"And you'll remove our hearts through our throats. We heard you the first few times." Meredy interrupted. "Well, Jellal? What should we do?"

* * *

"Mira!" Erza called out. She quickly flipped backwards, re-quipping into a new armor.

The She-Devil flew in at lightning speed in her Halphas form, tackling Marnix into the ground. With a quick move, she flew off, allowing Erza to attack the Zepar War mage with a flurry of swords.

Marnix gritted his teeth, spreading his palms out and destroying the swords when they were close enough. Metal shards flew at random.

"Re-quip!" Erza chanted, her body being enveloped in a light once more. "Lightning!"

"Cosmic Beam!" Mirajane added.

The two attacks merged together, heading straight for the S-Class wizard from Zepar War. In a scramble to dodge, Marnix jumped back. The heels of his feet caught against an unconscious wizard, allowing the attack to clip at his body and grate painfully against his magic.

"This is for Lucy." Erza growled, suddenly appearing in front of him. With a long, arching swing, a sizeable slice appeared on Marnix's torso.

"This is for capturing us." Mira added, supplementing her guild mate's attack with a flurry of quick punches and kicks.

"Damn you." Marnix hissed, regaining his balance in a crouch and exploding his magic into the earth. "This wasn't personal at first, but you made it to be."

"What is that suppose to mean?" Erza asked, shifting her Adamantine Armor away.

"We were going to take your title as number one guild and use that prize money and influence on something more honorable than fixing up city buildings." Marnix informed. "We were doing this for all wizards of Fiore!"

"And was it worth the sacrifice of the guild masters?" Mira screamed, a dark magic appearing in her palms. "The sacrifice of all of your comrade in arms?!"

"Every bit of their stolen magic wouldn't have been in vain." Marnix said in a low voice.

"That was not for you to decide." Erza replied. She raised her Lightning Empress Spear overhead. The metal attracted lightning from the raging storm above them. "How many of our friends have to suffer before you open your eyes?"

"You will never defeat anyone if you're willing to sacrifice your allies." Mirajane added.

The building lightning and dark magic exploded forward from the Fairy Tail wizards' hands. Marnix stared at the magic without any movement.

Fairy Tail was their last stop. Fairy Tail was the last key in their plans. The last sacrifice needed to move forward…

Was everything in vain?

* * *

"Gramps!" Laxus hissed. "What are you doing out here, old man?"

"Fighting for you kids, brat!" Makarov replied, blocking an attack with his hand.

"What are you ingrates doing?" Veljko yelled, staring at the Zepar War wizards scattered on the ground.

Laxus and Makarov looked over, staring at the man with disapproving eyes.

"Get up!" Veljko screamed, kicking a man who was lying on the ground in pain. The man began coughing. "Have you forgotten everything we worked for?!"

"That's enough, Veljko. Your child is hurt enough." Makarov interrupted as he grabbed for Veljko's arm.

"If it wasn't for you…" Veljko hissed, tearing his arm away. "If your shitty wizards just cooperated like they were supposed to… If you had given yourself up like the selfless bastard you were meant to be...!"

"Why would we surrender to someone who is kidnapping and endangering other wizards?" Laxus asked with a growl, the fangs he grew as a Dragon Slayer showing eerily in the flashes of lightning.

"All of the magic we accumulated could've been used more wisely." Veljko said under his breath, ignoring the Lightning Dragon Slayer. Lifting his head up, the man raised his arms parallel to the ground. "Using Ivan was a foolish move."

"Ivan?" Makarov asked.

Veljko chuckled, a black sphere appearing in his hands. "Void Magic: Black Hole."

The black sphere levitated forward, engulfing anything in its path. Like a natural black hole, anything near it began getting drawn inside.

"Hey, bastard, you're getting your own teammates!" Natsu yelled, clinging onto the wrist of an unconscious Shifra Favero as they were being dragged forward.

Makarov easily dug his feet in, grabbed a sizeable chunk of debris and flung it inside the black hole. As the black hole decreased in size, Makarov gave no pause as he grabbed Veljko and brought the man close. "What did Ivan do?"

"He couldn't have cared less what we were fighting for. As long as Fairy Tail was ruined, he was an ally to our cause." Veljko chuckled. "Though, I should've aimed for bigger fish than an exiled son. Blood family just doesn't seem to mean anything to Fairy Tail, does it? It's all about _friends._ "

The Fairy Tail members flinched as Veljko was slammed to the ground. The ground cracked with the impact.

"Whether we're related by blood or choose to become as close as family doesn't matter." Makarov replied. "It's knowing that there is someone who has our backs and is there to lean on that matters. Now what did Ivan do for you?"

"Have any of your _precious_ guild members felt weaker lately?" Veljko asked with a roll of his eyes. "Though the connection between Ivan and Fairy Tail was so weak that it probably made little difference. Blood relation to the guild master doesn't hold up to the true insignia." Makarov stayed silent. "He gave us a _hand_ in extracting magic from you ingrates."

The surrounding wizards stayed in shocked silence.

"And what was you aim?" Laxus scoffed as he crossed his arms.

"To destroy the good for nothing Magic Council!" Veljko laughed. "Now say good-bye, Makarov!"

Above the two wizards, the storm clouds were overwhelmed by a large hole forming in the sky. The new black hole started to inhale everything under it.

"Master!"

The cries of the Fairy Tail wizards echoed within the howling winds.

"Relive the moment! Mental Breakdown!" A high-pitched voice yelled out.

* * *

…

* * *

 _Soft wind swept across his face as it blew a gentle scent of spring flowers. The slap of feet squishing against new blades of grass echoed repeatedly._

" _Are we there yet?!" A young boy's voice asked impatiently as he ran circles around his parents._

" _Patience, little one." A woman with a melodic voice answered with a giggle. "It is just beyond the hill."_

" _Whoever gets there last is a rotten egg!" A man joked, making a run towards the hill._

" _Daddy!" The young boy exclaimed, quickly following in his father's footsteps._

" _Like father like son, huh, Veljko?" The woman said in amusement._

" _Hopefully that son of yours isn't as much of a terror as Valentin was." Veljko snorted._

" _Oh? How terrible was he?"_

" _Once, Valentin climbed-"_

" _Hey, hey, hey!" Valentin intercepted, pulling Veljko into a headlock. "You're not bad mouthing me in front of my darling wife, are you, brother?"_

" _Bad mouthing? I call your rambunctiousness the best quality you've got." Veljko replied, pulling his head away. The young woman couldn't help but laugh at the siblings._

" _Mommy! Uncle Vel'! You're rotten eggs!" The young boy laughed._

" _That's not very nice, Darrel." The woman pouted playfully, picking up her son to nuzzle his cheek._

 _Veljko set down the picnic basket he was ordered to carry and helped his brother, Valentin Callisto, lay out a blanket on the soft grass._

" _Perfect day for a family outing." Valentin exclaimed, taking a deep breath of fresh air. "It would be better if you got yourself a girlfriend. Can't have your younger brother keep beating you like this."_

" _You're such a brat." Veljko growled, punching Valentin on the shoulder._

" _Oh-ho? Look who decided to drop by." A chortle from afar caught the family's attention._

 _Valentin's wife cradled her son in her arms protectively as the two brothers stood up in front of her._

" _What can we do for you, folks?" Valentin asked. He warily eyed the swirling magic around the hands of the five strangers surrounding them._

" _You're on our territory, we would be terrible hosts if_ we _didn't ask_ you _that."_

" _Territory?" Veljko asked._

" _Your in the backyard of Ghoul Spirit guild, my friends."_

" _Sorry, we didn't know. We'll get out of your hair." Valentin said, trying to dissolve the growing tension. "Come on, honey."_

" _Leaving without paying the price for trespassing? Now we can't have that."_

 _The battle was fierce. Bloody. Void magic and Shadow magic versus the five mages of Ghoul Spirit._

 _It was when Valentin was struck in the chest by a sword that the stable chaos revealed its true nature._

" _Daddy!" Darrel yelled, tears streaming down his cheeks._

" _Darrel!" His mother yelled, running after him. Darrel leaned over his father._

" _You'll pay." Veljko hissed. "Experience the emptiness, experience the true void! Black Hole!"_

 _Four wizards were ensnared in the gravity defying magic. Their screams echoed out in the distance as they were transported into an empty pocket of space._

" _Darrel!" The woman screamed. Her son was thrown to the ground, his head bleeding. "No, Darrel. Baby. Can you hear me?" She skidded on her knees to his side, cradling him once more. She felt his tiny body pulse as though something was growing out of him. Before she could ponder the thought more, a slicing pain erupted from her back._

 _She turned with tears of sadness and pain falling down her cheeks. The man… The man who killed her husband… He stood behind her, his sword covered in red._

" _You damn bitch."_

" _Get away from her!" Veljko yelled, closing his spell and going towards his sister-in-law's side. Before he could make it, she fell over, Darrel protectively cradled beneath her beaten body. "Darrel! Run!"_

 _The atmosphere around them shook._

 _Veljko took a close look around. Five. There were five of the same Ghoul Spirit member surrounding them. He shifted his stance. Before his eyes, the stranger was encircled by what looked to be his clones._

* * *

" _I'm sorry, there isn't any more we can do."_

" _You're fucking kidding me! They murdered my brother! My sister! And you're telling me you can't do anything?" Veljko yelled to the people sitting above him. He stood on ground level, behind a podium as he had his attendance with the Magic Council of Fiore._

" _We are sorry for you loss. However, Ghoul Spirit is a dark wizards guild. Their very presence is already illegal and has been continuously hunted down since we became aware of it. It seems that they have moved their headquarters since you last saw them."_

" _You're not trying hard enough! If you were really working hard, you would have found them a long time ago!"_

" _Silence!" The room became tense. The head of the council cleared his throat. "Veljko Callisto, you are guilty of the murder of five wizards."_

" _In self-defense! Dark wizards, at that!" Veljko argued._

 _The head of the council raised his hand stop the angry man once more. "We understand. Which is why you are not being imprisoned. You should feel grateful."_

 _Veljko grit his teeth in anger. In hate. In despair._

" _Now, don't you have a young nephew to look after? I hear he awoke from his coma just yesterday. Perhaps you should count your lucky stars that the young lad lost the memories of such a tragic experience."_

* * *

…

* * *

The black hole disappeared in a blink of an eye.

The Fairy Tail wizards gathered around Veljko as he clutched at his head and screamed. Makarov undid his magic and returned to his normal size before turning to look by the guild's entrance.

"I'm sorry. It was the only thing I could think of."


	45. Yesterday's Enemies Are Today's Friends

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

 **Disclaimer: I** _ **do**_ **own all characters and magic I have created. Please do not steal them.**

 **A/N:** So~~ many things have happened, some of it even I can't believe. Not all good, but definitely not all bad. Just really, really – super – hectic.

Without going into too much detail, summer was basically me and my immediate family playing host to a huge group of extended family members and close family friends. They stayed for a month-ish and I swear, I learned so much about the city I live in and the surrounding areas ^^;

Work has been TERRIBLE. Honestly, the situation was just plain dumb. It wasn't so much as the person I was dealing with got in trouble with the law, but they nonetheless needed to get a lawyer. I ended up being the neutral middleman and had to run around getting people to sign things, get permission for stuff to occur, talk with a lawyer, ect. And it wasn't just, running around room to room, it was like… city to city, because no one wanted to answer emails or pick up their damn phone…. So tired T_T

On top of that, my family got sued just recently… We didn't actually do anything wrong. My parents own this building, and there's a business that rents the space. The business got sued…. And the person suing decided to sue the owners of the building as well… -_-…. Yay us….

Holidays aside, things have been busy – clearly…

But I'm determined to finish this story! It might take time though.

* * *

Chapter Forty-Five: Yesterday's Enemies Are Today's Friends

* * *

Much like when Phantom Lord initiated a war with Fairy Tail, the Magic Council arrived when everything was over. They arrived the next afternoon, ordering everyone to gather and get interrogated one-by-one. After that, the council members escorted all the members of Zepar War to Era to hold further trials. Although the heaviest punishment would have likely fallen upon the guild master of Zepar War, Veljko Callisto was no longer mentally stable. Such was the permanent effects of Vulpecula's never ending nightmare.

Aquila returned to her Owner's side the evening when all of the commotion settled down. Much to her annoyance, that Jellal fellow and his lady friend, Meredy, disappeared when the guild masters started waking up, leaving Aquila to explain the situation. With all of her charges growing restless and less disoriented, Aquila showed the guild masters the way out of the canyon. Most of them ended up riding on her back in her Beast form to get from the cave to the hiking path.

The few days that followed, the broken Fairy Tail building had been packed to the brim. Guild masters came and went, picking up their slowly recovering members, while the actual members of Fairy Tail sprawled out wherever they could in exhaustion.

Reconstruction was a common occurrence in Magnolia. When construction signs went up and portions of the building were covered, the citizens hardly batted an eye. Mirajane took it upon herself to draw another blueprint of a new design she imagined for the guildhall. The guild members easily agreed, however, went about building without looking too hard at the proposal.

"Put those planks over there." Erza commanded, sunlight reflecting off of her shiny hard hat.

"Who put you in charge?" Natsu complained, shifting the weight on his shoulder.

"What was that?" The Re-quip mage asked, aura flaring.

"Nothing!" Natsu yelled, scurrying to where he was instructed.

"Wimp." Gray scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Get to work!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Taurus! Get back here! Stop flirting!" Lucy yelled, running after her Celestial Spirit.

"Your body gives me moo-tivation!" Taurus praised with hearts in his eyes as he wiggled his hips from side to side.

"E-Eh?!"

Lucy smacked the Celestial Spirit on the head and grabbed his ear to drag him away. "Sorry, Laki!"

"I will have none of that nonsense here." Erza warned, walking up to the blonde.

"Yes, ma'am." Lucy gulped before hissing in Taurus's ear, "Look what you did… I told you Erza was scary when she's like this."

"Oh?" The redhead asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh…"

"Watch out!" Max yelled in warning that was promptly followed by a scream of pain.

Lucy squeaked, leaping out of the way. Erza quickly followed suit, however Taurus was not so lucky as he was run over by a two wheelbarrows.

"I won!" Gray and Natsu declared. "No way, Fire Bastard/Ice Princess!"

"Taurus!" The Celestial wizard cried dramatically, watching her friend disappear in sparkles of gold.

"Natsu. Gray." Erza growled as she slowly re-quipped into armor.

* * *

"What happened here?" Lisanna asked with an unsure grimace.

"What do you mean?" Mira questioned back, a huge smile on her face. "Welcome back, how was your break?"

"Ha… Heh…." Lisanna breathily chuckled uneasily.

"Manly!" Elfman yelled out proudly.

* * *

…One Week Later…

* * *

"Thank goodness." Lucy sighed, leaning her head in her hand.

"What for?" The Fire Dragon Slayer asked with a huge yawn. "There aren't any good jobs to go on."

"We just finished building the guild yesterday and you want to go on a job?!" Lucy asked incredulously.

"You're so loud, Lucy." Happy commented. "Indoor voices."

Lucy shifted her eyes, nearly shooting daggers at the little kitten sitting on the table in front of her with a mouth full of raw fish.

"I see everything is back to normal." Gray commented, setting down a bowl of something colorful and plopping on the bench across his three teammates.

The Celestial mage felt her cheeks heat up, turning away from the Exceed. She met Nastu's curious eyes instead, making more of her blood rush to her face. Turning away again, Lucy met Gray's eyes. Giving up, she asked, "W-What are you eating? I'm getting hungry just looking at that."

"Of course you are." Happy snickered.

Before Lucy could slam her palms onto the table in frustration, Natsu grabbed her hand that was closest to him and held it on his lap.

"I wish I could tell you, but Mira said I was a guinea pig today…" The Ice Make wizard trailed off, poking at the food with a fork.

"Want to try it, Lucy?!" Lisanna asked excitedly, nearly bouncing over to their table with a tray full of the same meal. "I asked if I could work in the kitchen once in a while to get away from field work and Mira let me come up with a new menu item." She proceeded to eagerly put down a bowl in front of the three of them. "If it goes well, Master will consider having it permanently on the menu."

"It's cold, Lisanna." Natsu grumbled unhappily.

"It's supposed to be." The Take-Over wizard huffed. "It's a salad, after all."

"Does it have any fish?" Happy asked next.

"No, it's a Rainbow Soba Noodle Salad. It has a ton of yummy veggies and soba noodles."

"No meat either?" Natsu sighed. "It kind of looks like a mess."

Lucy slapped at his arm.

"So it's not the prettiest…" Lisanna trailed off.

"Is a salad supposed to have this many noodles?" Gray asked, lifting a huge forkful of the chewy food item.

"Hmph…" Lisanna pouted. "I had to make a lot of it so… the proportions went a bit off…"

"I think it tastes pretty good." Lucy said, chewing a bite slowly. "Don't listen to them, Lisanna." She suddenly stopped eating, her eyes watering. "Spicy…"

Gray's cough caught their attention next.

"You can't mix big portions well, huh?" He hissed out between clenching teeth. "This is seriously sour."

"Is this sticky stuff honey?" Happy asked while lifting up his fork and watching a string of liquid slowly flow back down.

"Mira-nee! They need water." Lisanna cried unhappily, walking towards the bar.

Natsu switched his bowl with Lucy's. "This one doesn't smell as spicy as yours."

"It's not the whole bowl… Just certain bites." Gray said, cautiously eyeing the next forkful.

"It tastes pretty good." Lucy agreed.

"This would be so much better with fish in it." Happy argued.

"I'm glad." Mira laughed lightly, setting down four glasses of water. "Lisanna worked hard all morning."

"Are there matches around?" Natsu asked.

"You're going to light Lisanna's hopes and dreams up in flames?" Mira asked sweetly.

Lucy sighed in disappointment. Her boyfriend had no common sense.

"Proving yourself to be the idiot everyone knew you were, flame brain." Gray scoffed.

"Icy bastard, let's fight." Natsu declared, standing up.

"Right here, right now." Gray goaded.

* * *

"You think they'll be nice?"

"Probably not."

"Oh…"

"… But maybe."

"How do you think they're so strong? Is their guild a gym on the inside?"

"Perhaps."

"Do they exercise all day?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"Well, you two are about to find out, we're here." The woman of the group interrupted, looking ahead of them.

The group of three stood in front of large, imposing doors. The fresh coat of gloss prettily reflected the afternoon sunlight. In contrast to the cheerful streets of Magnolia, loud crashes and angry voices were leaking through the walls of the Fairy Tail guildhall.

With a deep breath, the woman slowly creaked open the door.

"Or it's just some ratty old bar."

"Hey! This place is practically brand new." Nab retorted but paused as he got a good look at their guests. "Aren't you three…?"

"AH!" Jet yelled in fright, getting thrown into the half staircase connecting to the door. He dizzily looked up. "You're-!" His speech was quickly interrupted by a wheeze of pain as Natsu and Gray landed on top of him.

"Ugh, get off of me, campfire." The Ice Make mage groaned.

"You get off of me, popsicle." Natsu replied.

"Are you guys okay?"

The three men looked up from their dog pile, spying a young boy watching them curiously.

"Don't get too close, Darrel. You might catch their stupidity."

"Bastard." Gray hissed, quickly getting up and shoving the man into the railing. "What are you doing here, Gunnar?"

The Rock mage, formerly a member of the now disbanded guild Zepar War, looked away uncomfortably.

"We're not here to pick a fight." Shifra protested, grabbing Gray's shoulder to push him off of her friend.

"Doesn't look like it." Jet scoffed, sitting up on the staircase.

"Wait," Darrel frantically cut in, stepping in the middle of the older wizards. "We… We came here to say sorry."

"Sorry?" Natsu asked, tilting his head.

"For… you know," Shifra continued stiffly. "Targeting you and destroying your guild."

Gunnar cleared his throat, straightening his shirt after Gray let go. "We apologize."

"Forgive us!" Darrel added, bowing down until his body was at a ninety-degree angle. Gunnar and Shifra looked at each other briefly before following their younger friend's sincerity.

The members of Fairy Tail fell silent.

"What are you really here for?" Jet asked slowly with a raised eyebrow.

"N-No! We're serious!" Darrel argued with a pout.

"Don't bother. If they don't believe us, then they don't believe us." Gunnar huffed lightly, patting the young boy on the head.

"Well, whatever." Shifra sighed. "Not that we have the right to blame them if they don't accept it. Just, forgive this one and we'll be out of your hair." She lightly pressed Darrel forward.

"Shifra?" The young Retaliation magic user questioned.

"We… We really do regret trying to use everyone like we did." Gunnar steadily started, standing up straighter. "I still stand by what we fought for. The Council isn't doing what needs to be done."

"But, we realize it is better to make allies than force everyone into doing what we think is right." Shifra finished. "So, there."

One by one, the Fairy Tail members looked at each other.

"Far be it for us to allow young wizards to walk the path of darkness." Makarov appeared, firmly walking to the front. He coughed into his hand. "Let's celebrate the rebuilding of the guildhall!"

Without even questioning their Master, cheers erupted from fellow Fairy Tail members. With confusion clearly written on their faces, Gunnar, Shifra, and Darrel were pulled into the fray. Lisanna presented the three her new creation with an eager smile after Mirajane led them to a table.

Music started playing seemingly out of nowhere, alcohol was passed around like water, and the mess made with the brawl was quickly being pushed aside.

"This place is fun!" Darrel sang, holding a mug of hot chocolate in his hands as he swayed his body to the music.

"Be careful with that." Gunnar grumbled, his head in his hand and elbow on the table while taking the hot beverage away. Darrel pouted in return.

"They're too carefree." Shifra commented. "Why are we still here?"

"You guys don't look like you're having any fun." Mirajane said in a pleasant voice, coming up to the table. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"I would like to leave." Shifra said under her breath before saying in a louder voice, "No thanks, we appreciate the hospitality."

"That's a load of crap." Natsu chortled from a table close by, his arm swung over Lucy's shoulders.

"I never expected her to use such formal words." Gray snickered, hiding a grin behind his drink.

"Aye!" Happy cheered.

"You three." Lucy sighed.

"Juvia agrees with Gray-sama." The Water wizard readily replied.

"Of course you do." The Celestial wizard breathed out.

"You…" Shifra growled, standing up and putting her hands flat on the table. Darrel quickly tugged on her sleeve.

"Didn't I tell you this was a bad idea?" Gunnar snickered. He watched as Shifra's hot temper start to show in her leaking magic. "All right, chill out, hot shot. I don't want to grovel at their feet again when you burn down their guild."

"Let's just be friends." Darrel suggested, offering her the hot chocolate Gunnar put on the table to cool down.

"Should we really trust them?" Charle asked skeptically.

"Master said that we should accept their apologies and start new friendships." Wendy commented.

"Don't worry, we're leaving soon." Shifra huffed, but then paused and took a quick glance at her young friend keeping a hand on her sleeve. "Where did your Master go, anyways? He just left you lot to keep an eye on us?"

"You won't do anything." Mira said confidently. In the middle of the Fairy Tail guildhall with most of the members present, it was highly unlikely. "He's in his office. Is it that you three want to join us?"

"Metal face was bad enough." Natsu grumbled.

"That didn't turn out so bad." Lucy shrugged, turning to look at the Iron Dragon Slayer pretend not to be interested in what Team Shadow Gear was up to. Though Gajeel had been up to torturing her – even happy to do so – he turned out to be a good ally and friend. Lucy turned to the woman across the table from her. She has long forgiven Juvia for kidnapping her. Lucy internally sighed – she really did get into a lot of trouble with Phantom Lord.

"You're offering? Just like that?" Gunnar asked, apparently shocked.

"Don't think it's 'cause you're special." Gray retorted, leaning his head in his hand.

"Unlike Juvia, who Gray-sama accepted because she's special." Juvia added happily.

"Well?" Mirajane cut in before anything else could be argued. "Would you like to become a part of our guild? We always have room for more family members."

Shifra shifted her eyes quickly to catch sight of Gunnar before turning back to the Take-Over wizard. She looked down, her eyes softening as she laid a hand on top of Darrel's head. "What do you say? You want to stay here?"

"Me? It seems fun here." Darrel replied, unused to being asked his opinions. Usually he just went along with what the others told him to do. "What about you guys?"

The Fire mage nervously shifted her eyes away from his innocence.

"Truth is, kiddo," Gunnar admitted, putting an arm around the young boy's shoulders in a comforting gesture. "Shifra and I were hoping you'd like to stay here. They'll keep a good eye on you, keep you safe."

"So you're just dropping me off, huh?" Darrel said quietly, looking down and swinging his legs. "Everyone is leaving."

"Zepar War is not a guild anymore." Gunnar said in a serious tone.

"Hey, hey, you're just leaving the kid and walking away?" Gray scorned, standing up.

"He has no where else to go." Gunnar retorted, also getting to his feet. "The least we could do was find a safe place for him."

"Leaving a kid all by himself is the best you can do?" Gray scoffed.

"Gunnar and I aren't staying together or with anyone else either. Once the Council released us, most of the members went their separate ways." Shifra cut in. "Why don't you tell us you're brilliant plan, then?"

"Disregarding his sentence in jail, after what your magic did to Ma-Veljko, Darrel was left pretty much orphaned. It's not Fairy Tail's first time taking in a guardian-less kid." Gunnar huffed.

"We don't have a problem with taking him in." Natsu added, crossing his arms. "What we do have a problem with is you just abandoning him here."

"What do you want us to do? I can't take care of him. Gunnar can't take care of him. No one else is willing to take him in. Us bringing him here is better than just letting him wander around out there alone!" Shifra growled.

"Natsu." Lucy called out, grabbing his wrist gently as he stood up. "Please,"

"We can never just solve things peacefully." Charle huffed.

"Aye…" Happy sighed.

"You're not willing to stay as well?" Wendy interrupted, becoming the soothing voice needed to settle everyone. "It's easier with a familiar face around."

"I'm going to wander around as an independent mage for awhile. See if there's anything I want to do." Gunnar disclosed. "Not exactly what I want a kid to be doing, especially since money might be tight."

Shifra looked away, reluctant to share. "I'd feel much better just getting a fresh start somewhere."

"Juvia thinks that if you ever find yourself in trouble, Fairy Tail will lend you a hand." The Water wizard said, a gentle smile tugging on her lips. "But please think about your friend, too."

* * *

"They're going to worry that you left."

Darrel looked up from his crouched position on the ground, leaning against the stone fence surrounding Fairy Tail.

"They don't have to." He grumbled, hugging his knees tighter as the woman sat down next to him.

"So? Where do you want to go?"

Darrel was silent.

"Would you like to go on a never ending adventure with us?"

"Miss Strauss?" Darrel asked in confusion.

"Do fairies have tails, Darrel?" Mira asked with a soft smile. "Do they even exist?" He stared at her in wonder. "We can find out together if you want."

"I…" He paused.

"You don't have to decide now." She reassured. "I'll let you in on a secret."

Darrel watched curiously as Mirajane put a finger to her lips in a shushing motion and winked.

"Secret?"

"If you asked really nicely and pout like a puppy, you can get almost anyone to let you stay with them a couple of days." She giggled in a whisper. "We'd never let a cutie like you stay by yourself."

"…What…should I do?"

"Anything you want to. Our doors are always open when you decide."


End file.
